we are all kind of staying in tonight.

[yi-ing]

A: You have plans with the girls?
B: Um, we are all kind of staying in tonight.
A: Would you like to come out and eat with us, or ...?


Movie: The office

May I ask what "kind of" means there?
What is the reason that the present continuous used?

 

[jutfrank]

The filler kind of doesn't have any lexical meaning there. That means that the word doesn't mean anything in itself. The speaker is using it for a different reason.

It's very hard to say without seeing the movie how the speaker is using it. It's possible that he/she is trying to soften giving the news that they are staying in. Or possibly trying to make their plan sound less fixed than it really is. If you can post a clip, it may help.

The reason why present continuous is used is to show that the plan is an arrangement.

 

[Tdol]

Kind of could make the plans sound a bit less definite or fixed. Staying in is fine, but it isn't much of a plan, unlike going to a very special party.