Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Lacking in love, generosity, or kindness: Describes a person, attitude, or action that is not benevolent, forgiving, or generous, especially towards others' faults or needs.
   • Harsh or severe in judgment: Characterized by a critical, unforgiving, or unsympathetic disposition.

Examples of Usage

• Adjective:
  • Her uncharitable remarks about the struggling artist were widely criticized.
  • It would be uncharitable to assume the worst about his motives without evidence.
  • He was known for his uncharitable attitude towards those who made mistakes.

Advanced Usage

• "uncharitable to": Used to indicate that a specific judgment or thought is harsh or lacking in kindness.
  • It feels uncharitable to think she forgot on purpose; she's usually very considerate.
• "uncharitable interpretation": Refers to understanding someone's words or actions in the least favorable or kindest way.
  • Giving his comment the most uncharitable interpretation only leads to unnecessary conflict.

Variants and Related Words

• Charitable (adj): The direct opposite, meaning generous, kind, and forgiving in judgment.
  • A charitable donation; a charitable view of someone's error.
• Uncharitableness (n): The quality or state of being uncharitable.
  • The uncharitableness of the public debate was disheartening.

Synonyms

• Unkind: Not friendly, considerate, or generous.
• Harsh: Cruel or severe.
• Mean-spirited: Having or showing a malicious or ungenerous nature.
• Unsympathetic: Not feeling, showing, or expressing sympathy.

Antonyms

• Charitable: Relating to the assistance of those in need; kind and lenient in judging others.
• Benevolent: Well meaning and kindly.
• Generous: Showing a readiness to give more of something than is strictly necessary or expected.
• Kind: Having or showing a friendly, generous, and considerate nature.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• To take an uncharitable view: To judge someone or something harshly or without generosity.
  • History has taken an uncharitable view of his early failures, ignoring his later successes.
• In an uncharitable moment: During a temporary lapse into harshness or lack of kindness.
  • In an uncharitable moment, she dismissed his efforts as entirely self-serving.

Adjective

1. lacking love and generosity
   • all pious words and uncharitable deeds- Charles Reade