Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

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.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

And it wasn’t the only company that got that kind of boost: The concept of “branding” took off as mass production and distribution, among other changes, made it crucial for businesses to stand out.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

Again, this trend isn’t one that would make any kind of difference for the overall church.

From Slate • Apr. 15, 2026

“You’ve got this kind of sweet spot where you’ve got more attractive valuations, and you’ve got a return to earnings growth, and it’s a really nice setup,” he says.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

Experts warn this kind of data will be extremely valuable to fraudsters who are now racing to trick unwitting customers.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

“And it was very kind of you to attend our show. Do you do any modeling yourself?”

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.