Definition

Noun: * Tender kindness motivated by a feeling of affection: A deep, gentle, and benevolent kindness that is rooted in love and care, often implying a protective or nurturing quality.

Usage

• Loving-kindness is an uncountable noun. It describes a quality of behavior or an emotional state.
• It is often used in spiritual, religious, or poetic contexts to describe a fundamental, compassionate aspect of divine or deeply human love.
• It can be used with possessive adjectives (e.g., ) or to describe an action (e.g., ).

Examples

• The chaplain spoke of God's infinite loving-kindness and mercy.
• She treated the lost child with such loving-kindness that he immediately felt safe.
• Many meditation practices focus on cultivating loving-kindness towards oneself and others.

Advanced Usage

• "Loving-kindness meditation" (Metta): A specific type of Buddhist meditation practice aimed at developing unconditional kindness and warmth.
  • Practicing loving-kindness meditation can help reduce feelings of anger and isolation.

Variants and Related Words

• Kindness (n): The quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. ( is a more specific, emotionally deep form of kindness.)
• Benevolence (n): The quality of being well-meaning; kindness.
• Tenderness (n): Gentleness and kindness.

Synonyms

• Compassion
• Affectionate care
• Tender mercy
• Benevolence

Antonyms

• Cruelty
• Hostility
• Indifference
• Malice

Related Idioms

• A heart full of loving-kindness: Used to describe someone who is exceptionally compassionate and kind.
  • Despite her own hardships, she faced the world with a heart full of loving-kindness.

Noun

1. tender kindness motivated by a feeling of affection