kinda hard

USAGE SUMMARY

'kinda hard' is not a correct part of a sentence in written English.
The correct and more formal way of writing it is 'quite hard.' For example, "The test was quite hard."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"Kinda cool, kinda hard".

The New Yorker

"It's kinda hard for me to tell sometimes," he said.

The New Yorker

It's kinda hard to hold it against someone.

The Guardian

"It's kinda hard coming out of Alabama," ST 2 Lettaz raps on "This Is Life".

The New York Times - Arts

It's kinda hard to tell, despite his expressive hand gestures and, in particular, eyebrows.

The Guardian - Music

I want to try a back flip, but it's kinda hard.

The New Yorker

Jeff Diener, one of Routh's classmates, told me that he was "kinda hard to get along with".

The New Yorker

"I used to try to come up with a new word every day, but it became kinda hard," he admits.

The Guardian - Music

It's kinda hard to go and call us bigots, if we don't go around and act like a bigot.

The Guardian

The band also performed the remix of "Ain't That Funkin' Kinda Hard on You," complete with verses from Lamar and Ice Cube.

The Washington Post

Kinda hard to fathom, that one would be named based off of his duty, but that is the lineage of this black skin that I wear".

The Guardian - Music

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In formal writing, replace "kinda hard" with more appropriate alternatives like "quite difficult" or "somewhat challenging" to maintain a professional tone.

Common error

Avoid using "kinda hard" in academic papers, business reports, or professional communications. Stick to more formal alternatives to ensure clarity and credibility.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "kinda hard" functions as an adverbial modifier indicating the degree of difficulty or challenge associated with something. It's a colloquial way of expressing that something is not easy but not extremely difficult either. As Ludwig AI explains, it's not considered grammatically correct in formal writing.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Vice

20%

Academia

10%

Less common in

Science

5%

Wiki

3%

Formal & Business

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "kinda hard" is an informal expression used to describe something that is moderately difficult. While very common in everyday speech and informal writing, it is grammatically incorrect in formal contexts. According to Ludwig AI, it is best to use more formal alternatives like "quite difficult" or "somewhat challenging" in academic or professional settings. Predominantly found in news and media sources, "kinda hard" serves to informally express a moderate level of difficulty, maintaining a casual and relatable tone. While prevalent in informal communication, it's crucial to recognize its limitations and opt for more appropriate language when formality is required.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

quite difficult

Uses a more standard intensifier than "kinda", maintaining formality.

rather challenging

Replaces "kinda" with an alternative intensifier and "hard" with a synonym.

somewhat difficult

Replaces slang term with a more formal adjective and substitutes "hard" with a synonym.

a little difficult

Uses less intense language to express mild difficulty.

a bit challenging

Uses a less intense adjective and synonym for "hard" while maintaining a similar meaning.

somewhat tough

Replaces slang term with a more formal term while maintaining meaning.

slightly tough

Replaces with similar adjective and synonym while keeping a informal tone.

reasonably difficult

Employs a formal intensifier and a synonym to convey a nuanced level of difficulty.

moderately challenging

Substitutes informal language with more precise and formal descriptors.

not exactly easy

Employs litotes to indicate difficulty indirectly.

FAQs

What does "kinda hard" mean?

"Kinda hard" is an informal way of saying something is "somewhat difficult" or challenging.

When is it appropriate to use "kinda hard"?

It's suitable in casual conversations, informal writing, or when communicating with close friends. Avoid it in professional or academic settings.

What can I say instead of "kinda hard" in a formal setting?

Use alternatives like "quite difficult", "somewhat challenging", or "moderately difficult" to maintain a professional tone.

Is "kinda hard" grammatically correct?

While commonly used in speech, "kinda hard" is grammatically incorrect in formal writing. It's a contraction of "kind of" and considered slang. Use "kind of hard" if you want to be correct and still keep a semi-informal tone.