kind of

adverb

Synonyms of kind ofnext
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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Kind of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kind%20of. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

Kids Definition

kind of

adverb
ˌkīn-də(v)
: to a moderate degree : somewhat
itʼs kind of cold in here
he kind of likes me
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster