sort of
adverb · adjective
Simple meaning
Sometimes expressing hesitation, reluctance, etc.: to some extent but not entirely.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
sawrtuhvSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈsɔɹˈtʌv
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
adverb
informal
Sometimes expressing hesitation, reluctance, etc.: to some extent but not entirely; approximately, in a way, not quite, somewhat.
adjective
informal
Preceded by a (and sometimes also followed by a): of a person, thing, etc.: similar but not identical to another person, thing, etc.
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Sometimes expressing hesitation, reluctance, etc.: to some extent but not entirely; approximately, in a way, not quite, somewhat.
Used this way, sort of is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It stays understated rather than dramatic. It turns up most in everyday conversation and social media or informal writing contexts.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Casual
- Intensity
- Mild
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Playful
- Usage feel
- Casual and conversational
Where it naturally appears
- Everyday conversation
- Social media/informal writing
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.