# kind of

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/kind-of
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Slightly; somewhat; sort of.

## Examples

- I am kind of tired today.
- It feels kind of cold in this room right now.
- The coffee tastes kind of bitter without any sugar.
- That blue car looks kind of expensive.
- The movie was kind of long, but the ending made it worth watching.
- The new office chair is kind of uncomfortable, so I might need to buy a cushion for my back.
- I kind of want to go to the party, but I also need to finish my homework before tomorrow.
- He looks kind of nervous about the presentation, so we should probably give him some encouraging words before he starts.
- The situation is kind of complicated, as the new regulations have created unexpected challenges for the entire department.

## Origin

From a reanalysis of the sequence *kind* + *of* within a noun phrase. The shift occurred when a construction such as "a kind of merry dance," originally signifying a specific type among merry dances, was reinterpreted as "a kind-of merry dance," indicating a somewhat merry dance. The noun phrase structure was thus recast to permit the phrase to function as an adverbial modifier.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.