kind of surprising

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "kind of surprising" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to express mild surprise or to indicate that something is unexpected but not overwhelmingly so. Example: "The results of the experiment were kind of surprising, as we didn't anticipate such a significant change."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

Isn't that kind of surprising?

The New York Times - Sports

Still, Wright's performance was kind of surprising.

The New York Times - Sports

No, not that kind of surprising discovery.

The New York Times

That kind of surprising news development was not to be.

The New York Times

The future's always kind of surprising me here and there".

The New York Times - Sports

The way you talk about that is kind of surprising.

Harvard Business Review

From the bus! "That was kind of surprising," Shantia said.

The New York Times

Miranda: That'll be kind of surprising in the neighborhood.

The New Yorker

So we learned something from this which is kind of surprising.

Yale University

It was kind of surprising how easy it was to find them".

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

1 human-written examples

But new research presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association in Denver this week comes to the kind-of-surprising conclusion that college students who engage in binge drinking are happier than their non-bingeing peers.

The Washington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "kind of surprising" to introduce an element of mild surprise or unexpectedness, softening the impact of a potentially jarring revelation. For stronger emphasis, consider alternatives like "quite astonishing" or "utterly unexpected".

Common error

While versatile, overuse of "kind of surprising" can dilute your writing's impact. Vary your phrasing by using more precise adjectives to better convey the specific nuance of surprise or unexpectedness, for example "somewhat unexpected" or "mildly astonishing".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "kind of surprising" functions as an adjectival modifier, softening the impact of the adjective "surprising". It expresses a mild degree of unexpectedness or astonishment. Examples found in Ludwig illustrate its usage in various contexts, from sports to scientific findings.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

42%

Academia

33%

Formal & Business

12%

Less common in

Science

8%

Encyclopedias

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "kind of surprising" is a frequently used and grammatically correct adjectival phrase that expresses a mild degree of unexpectedness. According to Ludwig, it is suitable for diverse contexts. Analysis of example usages reveals its prevalence in News & Media and Academia. When seeking synonyms, "somewhat unexpected" or "rather astonishing" present viable alternatives. Avoid overuse to maintain writing impact. Ludwig's analysis confirms that the phrase is a versatile tool for expressing mild surprise.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Somewhat unexpected

Replaces "surprising" with "unexpected" and "kind of" with "somewhat" to express a similar degree of mild surprise.

Rather astonishing

Substitutes "surprising" with the stronger "astonishing" and "kind of" with "rather", indicating a greater level of surprise.

A bit startling

Replaces "surprising" with "startling" and "kind of" with "a bit", conveying a slightly more abrupt sense of surprise.

Mildly astonishing

Uses "mildly" instead of "kind of" to soften the impact of "astonishing", conveying a subdued sense of amazement.

Slightly unexpected

Employs "slightly" in place of "kind of" to diminish the degree of unexpectedness.

Passably astonishing

Passably is used to convey moderate astonishment

Somewhat startling

Uses "somewhat" instead of "kind of" and "startling" instead of "surprising" to express a similar level of mild shock.

Moderately surprising

Replaces "kind of" with "moderately" to indicate a balanced level of surprise.

Slightly astonishing

Slightly is used to convey a bit of surprise.

Fairly surprising

Replaces "kind of" with "fairly" to communicate a reasonable amount of surprise.

FAQs

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

You can use "kind of surprising" to express a mild sense of astonishment or unexpectedness. For example, "It's kind of surprising how quickly the project was completed."

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

You can use alternatives like "somewhat unexpected", "rather astonishing", or "a bit startling" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "kind of surprising" or "kind of surprised"?

"Kind of surprising" describes something that causes surprise, while "kind of surprised" describes someone experiencing surprise. For example, "The result was kind of surprising" versus "I was kind of surprised by the result."

What's the difference between "kind of surprising" and "very surprising"?

"Kind of surprising" indicates a mild level of surprise, while "very surprising" implies a higher degree of astonishment. "Very surprising" suggests a stronger deviation from expectations.