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

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

"It is very difficult for the younger generation to find that kind of love. They are yearning for it, they seek it in films."

From Barron's • 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

“It’s exploitative and frankly disrespectful and infuriating that that is kind of a last-ditch effort to suggest to my community ... that they’ve been wrong the whole time,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

I stand up, clear my throat, and announce the last question: “This sounds kind of corny, but I’d still like to know: Where do you see yourself in ten years?”

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

Related Words

• rather