kind of

adverb

1
: to a moderate degree : somewhat
it's kind of late to begin
2
: in a way that approximates : more or less
kind of sneaked up on us

Examples of kind of in a Sentence

those sheets are kind of new, so use something else to cover the floor while painting

Word History

First Known Use

1775, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of kind of was in 1775

Dictionary Entries Near kind of

Cite this Entry

“Kind of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kind%20of. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

kind of

adverb
ˌkīn-də(v)
: to a moderate degree : somewhat
itʼs kind of cold in here
he kind of likes me

More from Merriam-Webster on kind of

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!