kind of cumbersome

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "kind of cumbersome" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that is somewhat awkward, unwieldy, or difficult to manage. Example: "The new software is kind of cumbersome, making it hard for users to navigate efficiently."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

It took a few minutes to download a song, it was kind of cumbersome, you had to worry about viruses.

The New Yorker

("We take Blue Cross, H.M.O. Blue, United, Aetna, Medicare and lots of others," Levine says. "They're all kind of cumbersome. We have our grievances with all of them").

The New York Times - Magazine

I imagine we've become kind of cumbersome to him, a bunch of 18- and 21-year-olds hanging around, and he's 28.

Los Angeles Times

Yet Queen of the Desert is nevertheless a descent into self-parody inexplicable and even mysterious in its badness, like some kind of cumbersome, lazy genie.

Vice

I feel like all of the most useful phone appendages (selfie stick, backlight, speaker) already exist, and anything else – you know, like a finger – would actually just be kind of cumbersome?

Vice

Although the current format using standard polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis apparatus is kind of cumbersome, it is possible to miniaturize the systems by taking advantage of scientific advances, such as nanotechnology, and to make the system high-throughput in a similar way that DNA sequencing technology was transformed from polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis based method.

BMC Biotechnology

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

In general, normal approximations for count data are noted to perform poorly [ 26, 27] and by means of our framework, these kinds of cumbersome approximations can be simply avoided.

BMC Systems Biology

There was one of a girl whom he said Josh had always had a crush on; and there was one of himself holding up a big, cumbersome camera — the kind of camera people used before students started snapping themselves with tiny digital cameras or cell phones, and before photographs became things to e-mail or look at online.

The New Yorker

So perhaps the kind of voters who would be deterred by cumbersome new rules may simply be the younger, poorer, minority voters who tend to avoid the polls anyway.

The Economist

If it becomes more cumbersome to gather this kind of data, no competitor might ever amass an index of psychographic profiles and social graphs able to rival Facebook's.

TechCrunch

Havel was a chubby and awkward child, nicknamed "chrobak" after "a type of cumbersome beetle".

The New York Times - Books

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Consider the audience when using "kind of cumbersome". While acceptable in many contexts, more formal situations might benefit from more precise or sophisticated language.

Common error

Avoid excessive use of "kind of" as it can weaken your writing. If something is indeed cumbersome, consider stating it directly or using a more descriptive adjective.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "kind of cumbersome" functions as a modifier, specifically an adjectival phrase, used to describe a noun. As seen in Ludwig, it qualifies the degree to which something is unwieldy or difficult to handle. The adverbial "kind of" softens the adjective "cumbersome".

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

30%

Academia

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Encyclopedias

3%

Wiki

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "kind of cumbersome" is a grammatically sound phrase used to describe something that is somewhat awkward or difficult to manage. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is perfectly acceptable for use in written English. Its frequency is uncommon, appearing across diverse fields like news, science, and academia. While the sources indicate reliability, it's useful to stay mindful of the specific context, and while it's acceptable in many contexts, more formal situations might benefit from more precise or sophisticated language, by exploring the alternatives to the phrase. Using such alternatives may help in preventing overuse of filler words such as "kind of" to strengthen the message, while keeping the same overall meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

somewhat unwieldy

Replaces "cumbersome" with "unwieldy", suggesting difficulty in handling or managing something.

a bit awkward

Substitutes "cumbersome" with "awkward", focusing on the lack of smoothness or grace.

slightly burdensome

Replaces "cumbersome" with "burdensome", highlighting the aspect of causing difficulty or hardship.

rather inconvenient

Changes "cumbersome" to "inconvenient", emphasizing the trouble or difficulty caused.

moderately complicated

Replaces "cumbersome" with "complicated", focusing on the complexity and difficulty in understanding or dealing with something.

somewhat challenging

Substitutes "cumbersome" with "challenging", emphasizing the difficulty as a test of one's abilities.

a little troublesome

Replaces "cumbersome" with "troublesome", suggesting it causes some degree of annoyance or difficulty.

relatively complex

Changes "cumbersome" to "complex", focusing on the intricate nature of the subject.

not entirely straightforward

Replaces "kind of cumbersome" to a more descriptive phrase that expresses the task is not easy or direct.

a touch laborious

Substitutes "cumbersome" with "laborious", highlighting the effort required.

FAQs

What does "kind of cumbersome" mean?

The phrase "kind of cumbersome" suggests that something is somewhat awkward, unwieldy, or difficult to manage, without being completely impossible to handle.

What can I say instead of "kind of cumbersome"?

You can use alternatives like "somewhat unwieldy", "a bit awkward", or "slightly burdensome" depending on the context.

Is it grammatically correct to say "kind of cumbersome"?

Yes, it is grammatically correct. The phrase follows standard English grammar rules and is commonly used in both spoken and written language.

How can I use "kind of cumbersome" in a sentence?

You can use "kind of cumbersome" to describe a process, object, or system that is not easy or efficient to use. For example, "The new software is "kind of cumbersome", making it hard for users to navigate efficiently."