The quality of being nasty, unpleasant, or cruel — and also a single act of that kind. Both uses are normal: 'There was a lot of unkindness in her voice' (the quality, uncountable), and 'I have never forgotten his unkindness to my mother' or 'small unkindnesses' (acts, countable).

The quality of being nasty, unpleasant, or cruel指刻薄、討人厭或殘忍的特質 and also也可以是 a single act of that kind那種行為的單一一次舉動 Both uses are normal這兩種用法都很常見 'There was a lot of unkindness in her voice'「她的語氣裡帶著很多刻薄」 (the quality, uncountable)（特質，不可數） and而 'I have never forgotten his unkindness to my mother'「我永遠忘不了他對我媽媽的刻薄」 or 'small unkindnesses'或'small unkindnesses' (acts, countable)（舉動，可數）

What makes this word useful is its size. It is smaller than 'cruelty'. Cruelty makes us think of real harm done on purpose. Unkindness covers the ordinary, everyday damage people do to each other: leaving someone out, a comment that was true but did not need saying, not answering a message, laughing at the wrong moment.

What makes this word useful這個字有用的地方 is its size在於它的「大小」 It is smaller than 'cruelty'它比'cruelty'（殘忍）輕 Cruelty cruelty讓人 makes us think of real harm done on purpose聯想到真正、故意造成的傷害 Unkindness unkindness covers涵蓋的是 the ordinary, everyday damage people do to each other人們日常之間彼此造成的普通傷害 leaving someone out把某人排除在外 a comment that was true but did not need saying一句雖然是真話但不必說出口的話 not answering a message不回訊息 laughing at the wrong moment在不對的時機笑出來

That is why it is such a common word in schools, in families, and in writing about how people treat one another. It names something too small to call cruelty but too real to call nothing.

That is why這就是為什麼 it is such a common word它是這麼常見的字 in schools, in families, and in writing about how people treat one another在學校、在家庭裡，還有寫人與人如何相處的文章裡 It names這個字指的是 something too small to call cruelty一種太小、還稱不上殘忍 but too real to call nothing卻又真實得不能說沒發生的東西

It is a slightly careful, considered word — people use it when they are naming a pattern of behaviour rather than shouting about one incident. 'I was surprised by his unkindness' sounds like a judgement someone arrived at, not a burst of anger.

It is a slightly careful, considered word這是一個用得比較謹慎、經過思考的字 people use it人們會用它 when they are naming a pattern of behaviour來指出一種行為模式 rather than shouting about one incident而不是為了單一事件大聲抱怨 'I was surprised by his unkindness''我對他的刻薄感到意外' sounds like a judgement someone arrived at聽起來像是經過思考後得出的判斷 not a burst of anger而不是一時的怒氣爆發

One last thing, for fun, because your students always like it: a group of ravens is called 'an unkindness of ravens'. It is a very old, half-playful collective noun and nobody uses it in real life, but it shows up in poems and games and film titles.

One last thing最後一件事 for fun純粹好玩 because your students always like it因為你的學生總是喜歡這種東西 a group of ravens一群烏鴉 is called 'an unkindness of ravens'叫做'an unkindness of ravens' It is a very old, half-playful collective noun這是一個很古老、半開玩笑的集合名詞 and nobody uses it in real life現實生活中沒有人真的這樣用 but it shows up不過它會出現在 in poems and games and film titles詩、遊戲和電影片名裡