kind of

Idioms  

1. Also, sort of. Rather, somewhat, as in I'm kind of hungry, or The bird looked sort of like a sparrow. [Colloquial; c. 1800] This usage should not be confused with a kind of or a sort of, which are much older and refer to a borderline member of a given category (as in a kind of a shelter or a sort of a bluish color). Shakespeare had this usage in Two Gentlemen of Verona (3:1): “My master is a kind of a knave.” Also see of a kind.

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Example Sentences

He noted that progress in AI, computing, and open collaborative science is making this kind of research increasingly possible.

From Science Daily • Jun. 10, 2026

He was kind of a studio musician guy,” she explains.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026

“The kind of war to which we were used, the kind of war that Russia had in mind in Ukraine—to invade and occupy a nation—is no longer conceivable,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026

Winding back 166 million years, Nichols said the area surrounding the tracks would have been "a really lovely tropical, kind of lush environment".

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

I’m thinking she and I had the same kind of night.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

Related Words

• rather