kid

1 of 4

noun

ˈkid 

1

: a young person

kids in high school

especially : child

a married couple with two kids

—often used as a generalized reference to one especially younger or less experienced

the kid on the pro golf tour

you poor kid

2

a

: a young goat

b

: a young individual of various animals related to the goat

3

a

: the flesh, fur, or skin of a young goat

b

: something (such as leather) made of the fur or skin of a young goat

gloves made of kid

kiddish

ˈki-dish 

adjective

kid

2 of 4

adjective

: younger

my kid brother

his kid sister

kid

3 of 4

verb (1)

kidded; kidding

transitive verb

1

a

: to deceive (someone) as a joke : to say untrue things to (someone) in a playful or joking way

It's the truth; I wouldn't kid you.

You've got to be kidding me.

I kid you not.

b

: to fail to admit the truth to (someone)

They're kidding themselves if they think they can win.

2

: to gently criticize or tease (someone) in a friendly or good-humored way

We kidded her about her old car.

intransitive verb

: to engage in good-humored fooling or horseplay

He was just kidding with you.

—often used with around

She enjoys kidding around with her friends.

kidder noun

kiddingly

ˈki-diŋ-lē 

adverb

kid

4 of 4

verb (2)

kidded; kidding

intransitive verb

: to bring forth young

—used of a goat or an antelope

Did you know?

Is the word kid slang?

Some people worry that kid, when used of a child rather than a juvenile goat, is either slang or too colloquial to merit acceptance in standard English.

The fact is that we have been using kid to refer to a child that is human, rather than goatish, for more than three hundred years now. The Oxford English Dictionary notes that although this word was considered “low slang” when it first began being used, it had entered “familiar speech” by the 19th century.

In contemporary English, kid is neither slang nor improper. It is, however, most definitely informal, so those writing professionally or in a formal register might prefer to use child.

Synonyms

Noun

• bairn [chiefly Scottish]
• bambino
• bud
• chap [Southern & Midland]
• chick
• child
• cub
• juvenile
• kiddie
• kiddy
• kiddo
• moppet
• sprat
• sprout
• squirt
• whelp
• youngling
• youngster
• youth

Verb (1)

• chaff
• jive
• joke
• josh
• rally
• razz
• rib
• ride
• roast
• tease

Examples of kid in a Sentence

Noun

She has to leave early and pick up her kids at school.

He has a wife and two kids.

I wish I could do something to help that poor kid.

Verb (1)

everybody's kidding me about my new haircut

he always kids around about his "wild and crazy" life as an accountant

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

That’s something a kid watching from the stairs in his parents’ house could watch in wonder. —Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 26 Dec. 2024

He was born in Germany in 1890 and moved to the U.S. as a kid. —Craig Custance, The Athletic, 26 Dec. 2024

Adjective

So how did Jenkins toe that line, balancing serious topics and kid adventure? —Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 20 Dec. 2024

For whatever reason, a front-door Ring camera seems more practical than kid binoculars. —Nick Romano, EW.com, 19 Dec. 2024

Verb

This might mean developing a detailed operations manual or even cloning yourself (just kidding, but hiring a great team is almost the same thing). —Teja Chekuri, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024

Read: Israel and Hamas are kidding themselves By contrast, the Israeli military and public were eager to end the war with Hezbollah, especially on advantageous terms. —Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 28 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun, Adjective, and Verb (2)

Middle English kide, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse kith kid

Verb (1)

probably from kid entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Adjective

1885, in the meaning defined above

Verb (1)

1883, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Verb (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing kid

• I kid you not
• kid around
• kid glove
• kid leather
• kid oneself
• kid stuff
• new kid on the block
• whiz kid
• whizz kid
• with kid gloves

Kids Definition

kid

1 of 2 noun

ˈkid 

1

: the young of a goat or of a related animal

2

a

: the flesh, fur, or skin of a kid

b

: something (as leather) made of kid

3

: a young person : child, youngster

kiddish

ˈkid-ish 

adjective

kid

2 of 2 verb

kidded; kidding

1

: to deceive or trick as a joke

2

: tease entry 1 sense 2a

kidder noun