An adjective meaning that someone's act in a very kind, unexpected way
I'm looking for an adjective that means that someone's act in a very kind, unexpected way.
Few examples:
- You cold-mail a very famous, busy person and ask him to meet for a coffee, and he replies with "sure, is [some date, some time] ok?"
- You're in a foregin country, can't find your way to some destination, and then someone approaches you and spends the next 15 minutes to make sure you understand how to get there.
- You're over-70 and with certain health conditions, so you're self-isolated at home to prevent yourself from catching the coronavirus, and your neighbour goes to the grocery store every day to get things for you whenever needed.
Can the one being helped in each of these 3 scenarios react with "thank you so much, this is so unobvious"?
The sound of it doesn't feel right to me, so I'm looking for another word.
Also thought about nontrivial, but still, it doesn't sound right.
What's the right word here?
Solution 1:
Generous could work. From M-W:
generous: characterized by a noble or kindly spirit : magnanimous, kindly
Your example:
Thank you so much. This is so generous of you.
Generous in this context carries with it an air of unexpectedness, as one often uses it to characterize an act of some kind that exceeds expectations -- that is beyond the norm. In addition to being a word you would actually use in the situations you've provided, it works with all three. Kind would also work, but I assume you're looking for another word.