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all kinds

all kinds

633 1.0
A wide variety of things
  • noun
translation icon : de todo tipo
  • She enjoys cooking all kinds of dishes, including Italian and Thai cuisine.
  • all kinds of things
  • all kinds of people
  • all kinds of information

People have come up with all kinds of explanations.

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Examples

  • Hearing Ahmed's voice brings back all kinds of memories.

  • To have your home invaded is a traumatic experience, one that brings up all kinds of issues.

  • It's Friday, which means you guys have got all kinds of important plans.

  • you know, it's a great way to learn all kinds of things,

  • Everyone has all kinds of things that happen.

  • And you people are turning to all kinds of solutions.

  • I go to all kinds of places, depending on the projects.

  • People from all over the world with all kinds of purposes in mind.

  • Over the years, all kinds of events have been planned to celebrate the day.

    Academic text (2008)
  • Students sat around the room, surrounded by texts of all kinds, reading and collecting information relevant to their study.

    Academic text (2013)

Synonyms

variety
vsall kinds
582 1.3

A group of different kinds of things

is the exact same idea expressed in a general way
range
vsall kinds
276 2.0

A set of different things of the same kind

is broader and covers many kinds across categories
wide selection
vsall kinds
4 1.7

A large variety of things to choose from

emphasizes many different kinds across several categories

How Varied

all kinds
633 1.0
various
1.0
monotype
  • Specialized
9.9

Surface Forms

all kinds singular
all kinds plural

Morphology

all + kind

The meaning 'a wide variety of types' is directly derivable from combining 'all' (the whole/group) with 'kinds' (types or sorts); the phrase literally signals every or many types. This compositional, cross-linguistically common pattern (e.g. Spanish todo tipo(s), French toutes sortes) is predictable and easily understood by a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

The phrase all kinds comes from the simple image of a box full of different things, with all the different kinds together. So when you hear all kinds, it means 'many different types'.