kid

1 of 4

noun

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 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 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.

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The presence of a 37-year-old who brought the tenacity of a champion to the lineup and the joy of a kid to the dressing room. Chris Johnston, New York Times, 18 June 2025 My kids officially gained a new best friend, and he's gained a whole new life. Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025
Adjective
Disney spent $100 million to produce and another $100 million on marketing efforts for the kid friendly adventure about a chaotic alien who crash-lands in Hawaii and gets adapted by a young girl and her older sister. Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 25 May 2025 Clearly, the audition worked, as Weiss appeared as the kid character Elvis three times, alongside fellow season 2 Playhouse Gang member Natasha Lyonne. Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Verb
Nintendo wasn't kidding about bricking the Switch 2 if hacking or piracy is detected. Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 18 June 2025 Surely this step won’t be controversial at all… (kidding). Neil Paine, New York Times, 17 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for kid

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of kid was in the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Kid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kid. Accessed 29 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

kid

1 of 2 noun
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 adjective

kid

2 of 2 verb
kidded; kidding
1
: to deceive or trick as a joke
2
kidder noun

More from Merriam-Webster on kid

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!