sorta

American

[sawr-tuh] / ˈsɔr tə /

adverb

Informal.

sort of; somewhat.

I'm sorta nervous about asking for a date.

Etymology

Origin of sorta

A phonetic spelling representing the pronunciation of sort of in continuous rapid speech

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

We don’t know what else to say: It appears to be somewhat … sorta … kinda … over.

From Slate • Apr. 18, 2026

Jar Jar was, of course, the duck-billed breakout star, sorta, of 1999’s “Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 13, 2025

So I sorta read a few pages of it and thought, Yeah, I’d like to do that.”

From New York Times • Jun. 7, 2024

Still shocked by the back-to-back revelations, Hostin said to Gates, "I had no idea the Spanish roots to this extent. I'm still sorta shocked at the depth of the ties."

From Salon • Feb. 7, 2024

“So my idea is that you say yes or no to me. And sorta if you want me to know it’s none of my business.”

From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023