1.
goodwill, kindness, favor
A feeling of friendliness or kindness toward someone. Refers to benevolent feelings or considerate actions done out of genuine care.
2.
romantic interest, affection
Romantic feelings or attraction toward someone. A somewhat indirect and understated way to describe having feelings for someone.
Common collocations
- 好意を持つ: to have goodwill toward / to have romantic feelings for
- 好意を寄せる: to show affection, to have feelings for (romantic)
- 好意に甘える: to take advantage of someone's kindness
- 好意で: out of goodwill
- ご好意: your kindness (polite)
Similar words
好意 vs 親切: Both express kindness, but 好意 emphasizes the feeling behind the action, while 親切 emphasizes the kind act itself. 好意 can also imply romantic interest, which 親切 cannot.
好意 vs 厚意: Both are read こうい and mean goodwill/kindness. 厚意 is more formal and emphasizes deep, heartfelt kindness. 好意 is more general and can include romantic overtones.