kid

\ ˈkid

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

adjective

Definition of kid (Entry 2 of 4)

: younger my kid brother his kid sister

kid

verb (1)

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

verb (2)

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 Jim Scott, special assistant to the director of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, grew up on the shores of Lake Washington, in Renton, playing around the lake as a kid, and fishing for sockeye from a rowboat. — Lynda V. Mapes, Anchorage Daily News, "Lake Washington sockeye hit record low, another signature Seattle fish at brink of extinction," 2 Jan. 2021 Rockwell was born and raised in Detroit and was known for starting rap groups in his neighborhood as a kid. — Chanel Stitt, Detroit Free Press, "Music producer Filthy Rockwell opens storefront, creative hub for Detroiters," 31 Dec. 2020 My mother, perhaps like yours, used to get on my case about watching too much TV as a kid. — Washington Post, "I’m signing off as TV critic, but here are six shows I’d happily watch again," 29 Dec. 2020 As a kid, Brandon Ingram felt fortunate that his path intersected with Jerry Stackhouse’s. — Christian Clark, NOLA.com, "From Brandon Ingram to Gayle Benson, Pelicans are giving back during holiday season," 25 Dec. 2020 The 2003 film got its start in the head of David Berenbaum, a Jewish kid from Philadelphia who loved Christmas and really, really loved Christmas movies. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Column: Netflix series unwraps the stories behind holiday movie classics," 18 Dec. 2020 Coach John Mirabello knew there was something different about the shaggy-haired kid from Ellington. — Shawn Mcfarland, courant.com, "‘He was a walking bucket’: Northwest Catholic junior Matt Curtis has accomplished a lot in two years. Now, he’s ready to be one of the faces of high school basketball in Connecticut.," 10 Dec. 2020 What were the odds that an underrecruited kid from Shakopee who left Minnesota for prep school would end up playing in the ACC -- let alone get to face the Gophers twice? — Marcus Fuller, Star Tribune, "Former Shakopee star Steffon Mitchell plays the Gophers again, this time back home," 8 Dec. 2020 The list is far too extensive to share here, but the names include Kevin Garnett, Chauncey Billups, Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh, Kawhi Leonard, Paul Pierce, Kyle Lowry, Ron Artest and a quite-tall kid from Latvia. — Brad Townsend, Dallas News, "Prominent pre-draft trainer believes Mavericks rookies Josh Green, Tyler Bey will succeed in Dallas," 7 Dec. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Seeing my kid act like this sometimes may give me a few (okay, like 20) extra gray hairs, but that’s nothing a good weave or braids can’t cover up. — Washington Post, "My daughter’s tween ’tude is a welcome reminder that she’s so much more than her disability," 21 Dec. 2020 But pretty much everyone in the Big Ten is a kid brother to the Buckeyes. — Shannon Ryan, chicagotribune.com, "Column: What’s on the line when Northwestern faces Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game? Respect — and maybe a good steakhouse meal.," 17 Dec. 2020 Some of the resulting works are now part of a small but lively exhibition of kid art, dating back to 1900, that will remain on view at the museum, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, until mid-January. — Bruce Handy, The New Yorker, "Can Kid Art Be Real Art?," 14 Dec. 2020 One way to look at this little 20-volt saw is that it’s the kid brother to the 60-volt Craftsman above. — Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, "The Best Battery-Powered Chainsaws," 9 Dec. 2020 The Chicago native who forged a lifetime partnership with his kid brother, Al, died Monday from illness while in the arms of his wife, Dolores. — Tony Kennedy, Star Tribune, "Ron Lindner, who founded a family fishing empire, dies at 86," 1 Dec. 2020 Back in May, UGG released a collaborative collection with cool-kid brand Eckhaus Latta. — Irina Grechko, refinery29.com, "It’s Official: We Are In The Golden Age Of Clogs," 20 Oct. 2020 Back in May, UGG released a collaborative collection with cool-kid brand Eckhaus Latta. — Irina Grechko, refinery29.com, "It’s Official: We Are In The Golden Age Of Clogs," 20 Oct. 2020 For external traction, try Kahtoola Nanospikes, the kid cousin of the ubiquitous-on-Alaska-trails Microspikes. — Alli Harvey, Anchorage Daily News, "Discomfort can be a hurdle to getting outside in winter, but the right gear can keep you warm and motivated," 7 Nov. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Don’t kid yourself that this contempt travels only in one direction, up the chain of command. — Timothy Noah, The New Republic, "Down With Slack," 4 Dec. 2020 As for the Vikings, don't kid yourself, Kirk Cousins fans. — Mark Craig, Star Tribune, "Vikings primed to join crowded race for No. 1 pick," 23 Oct. 2020 Do not kid yourself, ladies and gentlemen, this is literally and figuratively the ultimate game of political football. — Mike Bianchi, orlandosentinel.com, "Brace yourself: College football fans could decide whether President Trump gets re-elected | Commentary," 2 Sep. 2020 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 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Murphy, who oversaw the visitors’ clubhouse for part of Lasorda’s career and remembers him as a regular in North Beach, befriended Frank Sinatra and would kid Lasorda about Sinatra’s allegiance. — John Shea, SFChronicle.com, "Tommy Lasorda, ‘lovable villain’ in Giants-Dodgers rivalry, dies at 93," 8 Jan. 2021 Don’t kid yourself that this contempt travels only in one direction, up the chain of command. — Timothy Noah, The New Republic, "Down With Slack," 4 Dec. 2020 As for the Vikings, don't kid yourself, Kirk Cousins fans. — Mark Craig, Star Tribune, "Vikings primed to join crowded race for No. 1 pick," 23 Oct. 2020 Do not kid yourself, ladies and gentlemen, this is literally and figuratively the ultimate game of political football. — Mike Bianchi, orlandosentinel.com, "Brace yourself: College football fans could decide whether President Trump gets re-elected | Commentary," 2 Sep. 2020 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

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.