kindness

do someone a kindness

to do a kind deed for a person. My neighbor did me a kindness when he cut my grass. I am always happy to have the opportunity of doing someone a kindness.

kill someone with kindness

Fig. to be enormously kind to someone. You are just killing me with kindness. Why? Don't kill them with kindness.

See also: kill

milk of human kindness

Fig. natural kindness and sympathy shown to others. (From Shakespeare's play Macbeth, I. v.) Mary is completely hard and selfish—she doesn't have the milk of human kindness in her. Roger is too full of the milk of human kindness and people take advantage of him.

See also: human, milk

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kill somebody with kindness

to be too kind to someone Rob's killing me with kindness - he phones me all the time to see if I'm alright when really I just need to be left alone.

See also: kill

the milk of human kindness  (literary)

being good and kind to other people

Usage notes: This phrase comes from Shakespeare's play 'Macbeth'.

She's one of those amazing people who's just overflowing with the milk of human kindness.

See also: human, milk

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kill somebody with kindness

to get what you want by being very kind to another person While most coaches can be very tough, ours kills his players with kindness.

See also: kill