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

The emergence of a new kind of online shopper, using these sites and willing to pay luxury prices for used pieces, has become so prominent that it is sometimes outshining the freshest runway trends.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026

The problem is, the brand—and, to some extent, its management—is wed to a specific kind of go power: the charismatic flat-four engine and mechanically linked all-wheel drive.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026

“It’s certainly not do or die, but ... just to kind of get back feeling good.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026

The residents soon suspected the funnels contained some kind of herbicide that was slowly killing the tree - a suspicion also shared by arborists who came to examine it.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

Did the lad have some kind of premonition?

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Related Words

• rather