diff --git a/dargs/dargs.py b/dargs/dargs.py
index 98698e7..38bfdf3 100644
--- a/dargs/dargs.py
+++ b/dargs/dargs.py
@@ -23,10 +23,10 @@
 import re
 from copy import deepcopy
 from enum import Enum
-from numbers import Real
 from textwrap import indent
-from typing import Any, Callable, Dict, Iterable, List, Optional, Union
+from typing import Any, Callable, Dict, Iterable, List, Optional, Union, get_origin
 
+import typeguard
 
 INDENT = "    "  # doc is indented by four spaces
 RAW_ANCHOR = False  # whether to use raw html anchors or RST ones
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ def __eq__(self, other: "Argument") -> bool:
         )
 
     def __repr__(self) -> str:
-        return f"<Argument {self.name}: {' | '.join(dd.__name__ for dd in self.dtype)}>"
+        return f"<Argument {self.name}: {' | '.join(self._get_type_name(dd) for dd in self.dtype)}>"
 
     def __getitem__(self, key: str) -> "Argument":
         key = key.lstrip("/")
@@ -205,10 +205,17 @@ def I(self):
         return Argument("_", dict, [self])
 
     def _reorg_dtype(self):
-        if isinstance(self.dtype, type) or self.dtype is None:
+        if (
+            isinstance(self.dtype, type)
+            or isinstance(get_origin(self.dtype), type)
+            or self.dtype is None
+        ):
             self.dtype = [self.dtype]
         # remove duplicate
-        self.dtype = {dt if type(dt) is type else type(dt) for dt in self.dtype}
+        self.dtype = {
+            dt if type(dt) is type or type(get_origin(dt)) is type else type(dt)
+            for dt in self.dtype
+        }
         # check conner cases
         if self.sub_fields or self.sub_variants:
             self.dtype.add(list if self.repeat else dict)
@@ -414,16 +421,19 @@ def _check_exist(self, argdict: dict, path=None):
             )
 
     def _check_data(self, value: Any, path=None):
-        if not (
-            isinstance(value, self.dtype)
-            or (float in self.dtype and isinstance(value, Real))
-        ):
+        try:
+            typeguard.check_type(
+                value,
+                self.dtype,
+                collection_check_strategy=typeguard.CollectionCheckStrategy.ALL_ITEMS,
+            )
+        except typeguard.TypeCheckError as e:
             raise ArgumentTypeError(
                 path,
                 f"key `{self.name}` gets wrong value type, "
-                f"requires <{'|'.join(dd.__name__ for dd in self.dtype)}> "
-                f"but gets <{type(value).__name__}>",
-            )
+                f"requires <{'|'.join(self._get_type_name(dd) for dd in self.dtype)}> "
+                f"but " + str(e),
+            ) from e
         if self.extra_check is not None and not self.extra_check(value):
             raise ArgumentValueError(
                 path,
@@ -586,7 +596,9 @@ def gen_doc(self, path: Optional[List[str]] = None, **kwargs) -> str:
         return "\n".join(filter(None, doc_list))
 
     def gen_doc_head(self, path: Optional[List[str]] = None, **kwargs) -> str:
-        typesig = "| type: " + " | ".join([f"``{dt.__name__}``" for dt in self.dtype])
+        typesig = "| type: " + " | ".join(
+            [f"``{self._get_type_name(dt)}``" for dt in self.dtype]
+        )
         if self.optional:
             typesig += ", optional"
             if self.default == "":
@@ -632,6 +644,10 @@ def gen_doc_body(self, path: Optional[List[str]] = None, **kwargs) -> str:
         body = "\n".join(body_list)
         return body
 
+    def _get_type_name(self, dd) -> str:
+        """Get type name for doc/message generation."""
+        return str(dd) if isinstance(get_origin(dd), type) else dd.__name__
+
 
 class Variant:
     """Define multiple choices of possible argument sets.
@@ -993,6 +1009,8 @@ def default(self, obj) -> Dict[str, Union[str, bool, List]]:
                 "choice_alias": obj.choice_alias,
                 "doc": obj.doc,
             }
+        elif isinstance(get_origin(obj), type):
+            return get_origin(obj).__name__
         elif isinstance(obj, type):
             return obj.__name__
         return json.JSONEncoder.default(self, obj)
diff --git a/dargs/sphinx.py b/dargs/sphinx.py
index 21397b6..80a80e3 100644
--- a/dargs/sphinx.py
+++ b/dargs/sphinx.py
@@ -192,5 +192,5 @@ def _test_arguments() -> List[Argument]:
     return [
         Argument(name="test1", dtype=int, doc="Argument 1"),
         Argument(name="test2", dtype=[float, None], doc="Argument 2"),
-        Argument(name="test3", dtype=list, doc="Argument 3"),
+        Argument(name="test3", dtype=List[str], doc="Argument 3"),
     ]
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 223590a..bd31a2f 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ classifiers = [
     "License :: OSI Approved :: GNU Lesser General Public License v3 (LGPLv3)",
 ]
 dependencies = [
+    "typeguard>=3",
 ]
 requires-python = ">=3.7"
 readme = "README.md"
diff --git a/tests/test_checker.py b/tests/test_checker.py
index b03bad8..088a8b0 100644
--- a/tests/test_checker.py
+++ b/tests/test_checker.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+from typing import List
 from .context import dargs
 import unittest
 from dargs import Argument, Variant
@@ -27,6 +28,11 @@ def test_name_type(self):
         # special handel of int and float
         ca = Argument("key1", float)
         ca.check({"key1": 1})
+        # list[int]
+        ca = Argument("key1", List[float])
+        ca.check({"key1": [1, 2.0, 3]})
+        with self.assertRaises(ArgumentTypeError):
+            ca.check({"key1": [1, 2.0, "3"]})
         # optional case
         ca = Argument("key1", int, optional=True)
         ca.check({})
diff --git a/tests/test_docgen.py b/tests/test_docgen.py
index 5dc0f37..baf4132 100644
--- a/tests/test_docgen.py
+++ b/tests/test_docgen.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 from .context import dargs
 import unittest
 import json
+from typing import List
 from dargs import Argument, Variant, ArgumentEncoder
 
 
@@ -22,6 +23,11 @@ def test_sub_fields(self):
                             [Argument("subsubsub1", int, doc="subsubsub doc." * 5)],
                             doc="subsub doc." * 5,
                         ),
+                        Argument(
+                            "list_of_float",
+                            List[float],
+                            doc="Check if List[float] works.",
+                        ),
                     ],
                     doc="sub doc." * 5,
                 ),