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

See Examples For:

kind of

In a kind of treasure hunt, Crouch gathers all the acorns on private lands.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026

“She was the first woman in any kind of senior leadership position among the national companies—and that was the case for a long time,” explained Steve Murray, a partner at RTC Consulting.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

"Cole needs to step up when he comes and he needs to show these kind of numbers to get his place, keep his shirt and justify the nomination."

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

What it implies is that if you don’t, you kind of deserve what you get.

From Slate ● Sep. 18, 2026

But it does raise the question: What kind of person am I?

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

Related Words

• rather