of sorts

Idioms

Also, of a sort. Of a kind, especially a mediocre or somewhat different kind. For example, He was wearing a jacket of sorts but no tie, or They established a constitutional government of a sort. [c. 1900]

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.

But the beleaguered 63-year UK leader appears to have been granted a stay of execution, of sorts, while Burnham's fate is decided in the Makerfield by-election.

From Barron's • May 16, 2026

Yet while an increase in wholesale prices is a prelude of sorts to what consumers end up paying for goods and services, the relationship is far from exact.

From MarketWatch • May 13, 2026

They began the season as peers, of sorts; Dylan is an English professor at Ludlow, while Greg never went to college.

From Salon • May 11, 2026

So was I a little out of sorts?

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

"Enter, enter," she said, suddenly out of sorts, "after removing the shoes, of course."

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez

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