kid

\ ˈkid

How to pronounce kid (audio)

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Definition of kid

(Entry 1 of 4)

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

2a : a young goat

b : a young individual of various animals related to the goat

3a : 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

kid

Definition of kid (Entry 2 of 4)

: younger my kid brother his kid sister

kid

kidded; kidding

Definition of kid (Entry 3 of 4)

transitive verb

1a : 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 aroundShe enjoys kidding around with her friends.

kid

kidded; kidding

Definition of kid (Entry 4 of 4)

intransitive verb

: to bring forth young —used of a goat or an antelope

Other Words from kid Synonyms & Antonyms Is the word kid slang? More Example Sentences Learn More about kid

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Is the word kid slang?

Noun

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.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Jason Gardner grew up as a Washington Township kid going to North Central basketball games. — Kyle Neddenriep, The Indianapolis Star, "Jason Gardner hired at alma mater: 'I've always wanted to coach at North Central'," 13 Aug. 2020 Not yet 5, kindergartner Rivington Hall in Westport, Connecticut, will begin her first big-kid year in September, at least in part on Zoom after finishing preschool at home. — Leanne Italie, Star Tribune, "K-12 students sound off on reopening schools," 12 Aug. 2020 Not yet 5, kindergartner Rivington Hall in Westport, Connecticut, will begin her first big-kid year in September, at least in part on Zoom after finishing preschool at home. — Author: Leanne Italie, Anchorage Daily News, "What do the kids say? K-12 students sound off on school," 12 Aug. 2020 Then there is Steven, a Latino kid whose mother was at one time undocumented, which makes the anti-immigration shrieking from some of the boys all the uglier. — Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, "'Boys State' is an enlightening — and depressing — documentary about trickle-down politics," 12 Aug. 2020 The giggling kid in the dreadlocks and perma-smile cowers at nothing — and embraces everything. — Bryce Miller Columnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Column: Padres ‘supernova’ Fernando Tatis Jr. taking MLB by storm," 11 Aug. 2020 Speaking of stickers, what kid doesn't love decorating their notebooks with fun adhesives? — Katina Beniaris, Woman's Day, "21 Non-Candy Halloween Treats Your Trick-or-Treaters Will Love," 11 Aug. 2020 There was a boxy old Baldwin Fun Machine organ in the dining room, next to a few kid toys. — Brendan Fitzgerald, Longreads, "“I miss my body when it was ferocious” The Transfiguration of Paul Curreri," 10 Aug. 2020 There’s not enough sympathy in the world that’s worth one kid football player’s life lost to COVID-19. — Paul Daugherty, The Enquirer, "Doc's Morning Line: Just end the charade and cancel college football in the fall.," 10 Aug. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective The Tonight Show host — taking a sharp turn from his days of wearing kid gloves with Trump, even infamously playing with the then-presidential candidate's hair on the show — expressed his disgust over Trump's indifference. — Ryan Parker, The Hollywood Reporter, "Jimmy Fallon Skewers Trump's Coronavirus Death Toll Indifference in Axios Interview," 5 Aug. 2020 Solano threw to third baseman Evan Longoria, who threw to Heineman, the catcher who was playing a big-league game with his kid brother for the first time. — John Shea, SFChronicle.com, "Giants beat Rangers, Donovan Solano continues to pound the ball," 1 Aug. 2020 On Fridays, register for live online meets with real kid inventors from across the country. — Emily Matchar, Smithsonian Magazine, "Nine Educational Livestreams Coming From Historical Sites in the United States," 11 May 2020 According to experts — and moms — kid-space essentials include building blocks, Duplos and Legos, costumes, and crayons, paper plates, and other art supplies. — Tehrene Firman, Redbook, "7 Ways You Can Teach Your Kid to Spend Time Alone Without Throwing a Tablet in Their Face," 29 Sep. 2017 Children will receive a kid-size face shield with Qatar’s Oryx Kids Club mascots. — Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, "Qatar Airways Now Requires Passengers Wear a Face Shield and Mask," 6 July 2020 Throughout July, the TFK team will create and curate daily roundups of free, kid-safe content that parents can trust and kids can enjoy on their own, or with minimal oversight. — Time, "Camp TFK," 30 June 2020 For kids not ready to ride on their own, the Thule Ridealong is a kid seat that clamps securely to the adult bike. — Christine Frietchen, Condé Nast Traveler, "9 Best Bike Accessories for Those Who Plan to Ride All Summer," 11 June 2020 That sounds good, but being a lifeline on a team with little pitching leeway is different than being the kid brother fourth starter on an 84-win team just willing the curtain to close on the season. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, "Chaim Bloom’s opening conundrum: How to get Red Sox enough starters," 2 Mar. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Having said that, anyone who believes that future Republican leaders can simply roll the clock back to the spring of 2015, with regard to foreign policy as well as much else, is kidding himself. — Colin Dueck, National Review, "What Is Conservative American Nationalism?," 21 Oct. 2019 All kidding aside, to receive the N95 designation, masks must adhere to the standard regulated by the FDA. — Michael Simon, PCWorld, "Razer will make a million masks to help fight coronavirus," 19 Mar. 2020 People who claim to sure how the journey will go are kidding themselves. — Andrew C. Mccarthy, National Review, "Impeachment Is Unpredictable," 2 Nov. 2019 If neither hits a milestone homer the first week on the road, each could take advantage of the Giants’ new bandbox (kidding). — John Shea, SFChronicle.com, "Giants Splash: 6 early observations from camp on key roster questions," 4 Mar. 2020 But today’s digital invitations do look just like the real thing, but without the pileup in someone’s recycling bin. Give the birthday kid a sense of control and creativity by letting her help design the invitation. — Jamie Kiffel-alcheh, National Geographic, "How to throw an (almost) zero-waste birthday party," 26 Feb. 2020 Alabama may have a Democrat in the United States Senate, but don’t kid yourself - it’s among the most conservative states in the country. — Ramsey Archibald | Rarchibald@al.com, al, "Where in Alabama are voters most evenly split between parties?," 22 Feb. 2020 According to police, a customer had overheard two employees who were kidding around. — Emily Sweeney, BostonGlobe.com, "An owl is saved, and a priest gets hacked," 19 Feb. 2020 These videos and posts are making the jokes because they’re funny—kidding around is certainly not the same thing as lying. — Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, "The Risk of ‘Getting Bangs’," 22 Jan. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Just kidding, but my love for these boots (and boots in general) is no joke. — Georgina Kim, Glamour, "These Celebrity Boot Looks Are So Good I Want to Scream—Then Shop," 26 Nov. 2019 All kidding aside, to receive the N95 designation, masks must adhere to the standard regulated by the FDA. — Michael Simon, PCWorld, "Razer will make a million masks to help fight coronavirus," 19 Mar. 2020 According to police, a customer had overheard two employees who were kidding around. — Emily Sweeney, BostonGlobe.com, "An owl is saved, and a priest gets hacked," 19 Feb. 2020 But today’s digital invitations do look just like the real thing, but without the pileup in someone’s recycling bin. Give the birthday kid a sense of control and creativity by letting her help design the invitation. — Jamie Kiffel-alcheh, National Geographic, "How to throw an (almost) zero-waste birthday party," 26 Feb. 2020 Alabama may have a Democrat in the United States Senate, but don’t kid yourself - it’s among the most conservative states in the country. — Ramsey Archibald | Rarchibald@al.com, al, "Where in Alabama are voters most evenly split between parties?," 22 Feb. 2020 Just kidding — there's no way to let the Grammys, one of the biggest nights of the year for not only music but also for style and beauty, slip your mind. — Marci Robin, Allure, "The Best Hair, Makeup, and Nail Looks at the 2020 Grammys," 27 Jan. 2020 But don't kid yourself, the car could go as high as $5 million dollars. — CBS News, "Steve McQueen's famous "Bullitt" Mustang will hit the auction block," 10 Jan. 2020 Line: Spartans by 20½. Chris Solari Don’t kid yourself, things are bad for MSU. — Kirkland Crawford, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan State won't lose to Rutgers, right? Can Michigan football avoid Indiana letdown?," 22 Nov. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'kid.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for kid

kid

noun

English Language Learners Definition of kid

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a son or daughter

: a young person

: a young goat

kid

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of kid (Entry 2 of 2)

chiefly US, informal : younger

See the full definition for kid in the English Language Learners Dictionary

kid

\ ˈkid

\

Kids Definition of kid

(Entry 1 of 2)

2 : a young goat or a related animal

3 : the flesh, fur, or skin of a young goat or related animal or something (as leather) made from one of these

kid

kidded; kidding

Kids Definition of kid (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : to deceive or trick as a joke We're having a test? No, I'm just kidding.

2 : tease entry 1 sense 1 We kidded him about his new girlfriend.

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