They kind of waylaid the taxi.
Please see the following sentences. Here I'd like to know the meaning of the usage "kind of" in this context. Is that a common usage?
"When we crossed five to six kilometres, out of nowhere two guys came just in front of our taxi. They kind of waylaid the taxi."
Top answer
Hi The word 'waylaid' is quite old (16th century) and was originally used to describe situations where vehicles were stopped and robbed by criminals (highwaymen). The writer knows that, in their sentence, the word is being used in a slightly dramatic or strange way, so they soften the use of the word with 'kind of' It is very common spoken usage, 'kind of', to indicate that the speaker is uncertain of what they are saying or that they feel that it's not exactly the right word. It's idiomatic, so you wouldn't use it in formal contexts - He says his brother is a kind of accountant (= I'm really not sure what accountant that is) Dave
- Hi The word 'waylaid' is quite old (16th century) and was originally used to describe situations where vehicles were stopped and robbed by criminals (highwaymen).
- The writer knows that, in their sentence, the word is being used in a slightly dramatic or strange way, so they soften the use of the word with 'kind of' It is very common spoken usage, 'kind of', to indicate that the speaker is uncertain of what they are saying or that they feel that it's not exactly the right word.
- It's idiomatic, so you wouldn't use it in formal contexts - He says his brother is a kind of accountant (= I'm really not sure what accountant that is) Dave
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
Hi
The word 'waylaid' is quite old (16th century) and was originally used to describe situations where vehicles were stopped and robbed by criminals (highwaymen). The writer knows that, in their sentence, the word is being used in a slightly dramatic or strange way, so they soften the use of the word with 'kind of'
It is very common spoken usage, 'kind of', to indicate that the sp
0cat navy 425 Here I'd like to know the meaning of the usage "kind of" in this context.
It is an informal way of saying that what they did was similar to waylaying without actually being waylaying. You also see "sort of". More formal wordings are "They
0kind of and sort of, usually said as kinda and sorta, are from a very familiar style of spoken language.
They hedge the meaning of the following word, making it less exact than usual, often an adjective or verb. It's like saying "more or less". For example, kind of confusing means "somewhat confusing" or "fairly confusing". And kind of waylaid
0You sentence as a whole does not seem very natural to me. I suggest this.
When we had gone five or six kilometres, out of nowhere two guys appeared just in front of our taxi. They kind of
0
Related Questions