sorta

1. abbreviationcontractioninformalnot comparableContraction of sort of.

   The portraits on the wall aren’t that good, but they’re just sorta cool to have around.

   2 more examples

   'Webb,' he says sorta sorrowful like, 'it looks like a howlin' shame to have a bang-up American girl hooked up to a money-grubbin' member of the British nobility. It don't in no way fit in with my ideas of the speerut of American independence!'

   1912 September, Charles Alden Seltzer, “Love’s International”, in The Outing Magazine: Sport, Adventure, Travel, Fiction, volume LX, number 6, New York, N.Y.; Chicago, Ill.: Outing Publishing Company, →OCLC, page 680, column 1

   When Tommy's folks heard about it they were angry with him, and with Chuck for using him to play such a mean trick on Vern. In fact the whole thing sorta backfired on old Chuck—and on me and Pete too. Instead of laughing about it, most people thought it was pretty crummy.

   1993 July, William R. Scott, “Sort of a Hero”, in Scott Stuckey, editor, Boys’ Life, volume LXXXIII, number 7, Irving, Tex.: Boy Scouts of America, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 34, column 2

   Synonyms: kinda, kinda sorta, sorta kinda

plural sortsa

1. contractioninformalSort of.

   There’s gotta be some sorta explanation.

   1 more example

   He glanced at her then back at me. "What sorta research?" / "Well, war correspondent might not be too far off," I said.

   2001, Lawrence A. Wenzel, The Sandcastle at High Tide, page 97