kid

noun

\ 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 around She 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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Other Words from kid

Noun

kiddish \ ˈki-dish

\ adjective

Verb (1)

kidder noun

kiddingly \ ˈki-diŋ-lē

\ adverb

Synonyms & Antonyms for kid

Synonyms: Noun

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

Antonyms: Noun

adult, grown-up

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

Going to bed at around the same time every night isn't just a good idea for kids. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "15 Ways to Sleep Better Tonight, According to Experts," 2 May 2019 The picture book tells the tale of how the Peep helps the Easter Bunny every year to make a special celebration for kids around the world. — Kelly O'sullivan, Country Living, "'Peep on a Perch' Is the New 'Elf on a Shelf'," 8 Mar. 2019 In all, data for 5,157 kids were included in the study. — Korin Miller, SELF, "Kids Are Using Too Much Toothpaste and It's Actually a Problem," 5 Feb. 2019 Among the many watching at home was a kid called James Heeps, who’d grow up to be one of the last two Wing Commanders of a Tornado Squadron. — Mark Smith, Popular Mechanics, "Why the Panavia Tornado Is Such a Badass Plane," 10 Apr. 2019 Nipsey was a neighborhood kid who had made it out, and Lauren loved him for it. — Jamilah King, Teen Vogue, "Nipsey Hussle's Death Brings a New Generation of Hip-Hop Heartbreak," 7 Apr. 2019 Damn kids and their Fortnite Let’s close out this week with a head-shake and a small chuckle. — Hayden Dingman, PCWorld, "This week in games: Borderlands 3 is an Epic exclusive, Obsidian shows off The Outer Worlds," 5 Apr. 2019 Jacques Colimon as Will Jacques will play foster kid Will, another outsider who will take advantage of the changing social situations in this new adult-free society. — Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, "Everything You Need to Know About Netflix's Newest Teen Drama "The Society"," 4 Apr. 2019 The measles is a highly contagious viral infection that can lead to serious, occasionally life-threatening complications — especially in babies and kids. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "The Measles Signs in Kids Every Parent Needs to Know About," 3 Apr. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Both sisters have been on quite the journey since season one’s early days in Winterfell, and Sansa and her kid sister have since won our hearts — no dragons, direwolves, bratty teenage kings, or white walkers necessary. — Allure, "See How Game of Thrones' Maisie Williams & Sophie Turner's Beauty Looks Have Evolved Throughout the Years," 11 Apr. 2019 In a blink of an eye, your wonderful daughter, kid brother, or sweet cousin is all grown-up and walking across the big stage to receive their diploma. — Selena Barrientos, Good Housekeeping, "Here’s What to Write in a Graduation Card to Your Favorite New Adult," 22 Mar. 2019 Albanese pulled together an eclectic mix of vintage and custom furniture with layered textures and materials, imparting a sense of sophisticated youthfulness that is equally kid-appropriate and a playful backdrop for adults. — Lucia Tonelli, ELLE Decor, "A Vivacious Canadian Lake House With a Joyful Sense of Irreverence," 24 Dec. 2018 Come for me’ But for Janet, the thought of her kid brother being sent into combat was too much to bear. — Jeremy Roebuck, Philly.com, "Ex-child soldiers say Delco man turned them into killers," 19 June 2018 Their kid sister, age 4, asked why everything was different. — Dan Gorenstein, Washington Post, "Choosing Between Death And Deportation," 22 May 2018 Take the case of my kid brother, Jack, who worked one summer in the 1980s as a house painter. — Mike Kerrigan, WSJ, "Summer Jobs Teach Real-World Lessons," 31 May 2018 Also, owner Scott Fisher prides himself on the safety of all his products, especially kid-favorite drones and hoverboards. — Amy Schwabe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Toys R Us is closing. Visit these Milwaukee-area stores for your toy needs.," 15 Mar. 2018 Peyton seemed genuinely impressed with his kid brother's devil-may-care attitude. — Dwight Adams, Indianapolis Star, "Remember the 'Dirty Dancing' ad in the Super Bowl? Peyton Manning dissected brother Eli's moves," 27 Feb. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

At its fall 2019 show during Milan Fashion Week, the label underlined its track record on outerwear with a line-up of statement coats that weren't kidding around, sometimes in vibrant hues of blue, cerulean and bright yellow. — Erik Maza, Town & Country, "Nancy Pelosi's Red Fire Coat is Officially Available to Buy," 14 Mar. 2019 He's since been removed from his position as royal mascot and unequivocally banned from all other royal happenings ........ just kidding! — Tess Koman, Cosmopolitan, "This Pony Had the Nerve to Try and Eat Prince Harry With Meghan Markle Watching!!," 14 Feb. 2018 Jakub Vrana and Andre Burakovsky weren't kidding about getting tattoos, apparently. — Jace Evans, USA TODAY, "The Washington Capitals haven't stopped partying since winning the Stanley Cup," 9 June 2018 The duo have been super cute on social media, and their co-stars love to kid them about their relationship. 2. — Hannah Orenstein, Seventeen, "27 Celebrities Who Dated Their Co-Stars IRL," 7 Dec. 2018 Presumably, Clarke is kidding about getting at least some of this ink. — Angela Watercutter, WIRED, "Emilia Clarke Wants a Chewbacca Tattoo—and a Dragon," 23 May 2018 And Jenny wasn’t kidding; her thread is filled with photos of young people recreating moments from the film, complete with nearly identical outfits and poses. — De Elizabeth, Teen Vogue, "Lara Jean Covey of "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" Is Inspiring Halloween Costumes," 28 Oct. 2018 But there are also far more lurid definitions in common parlance: Ralphing means upchucking from drink, boufing is ingesting alcohol anally (not kidding here, look it up), and the triangle is a three-way consisting of two men and one woman. — Lynn Yaeger, Vogue, "The Week in Washington: Ralphing, Boufing, and the Devil’s Triangle," 30 Sep. 2018 The ensemble also came equipped with hundreds of fluttering butterflies carried down the runway by a full entourage of shadowy figures – not kidding. — Kelsey Stiegman, Seventeen, "If You Thought Gigi Hadid's Wedding Dress Was Crazy From the Front, Wait Until You See the Back," 21 Sep. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Just kidding about that last thing, but there are 31 pictures in total of them doing all the other stuff. — Tess Koman, Cosmopolitan, "ETCH THESE NEW PICTURES OF JUSTIN BIEBER AND SELENA GOMEZ KISSING ONTO MY GRAVE," 21 Feb. 2018 The lesson here is obvious: Never go the gym at 5 a.m. (kidding). — Leah Prinzivalli, Allure, "Woman's Foot Self-Tanner Fail Is Going Viral on Instagram," 16 Oct. 2018 Though Rossi was mostly kidding, don't think for a second Honda officials didn't enjoy Honda's dominance Saturday and are hoping for more on Sunday. — Jim Ayello, Indianapolis Star, "IndyCar at Belle Isle: Honda dominates on Chevrolet's turf," 2 June 2018 In a nice break from Trumpian politics (kidding . . . — Michelle Ruiz, Vogue, "The Hype Over Netflix’s Bird Box, Explained," 2 Jan. 2019 And Jenny wasn’t kidding; her thread is filled with photos of young people recreating moments from the film, complete with nearly identical outfits and poses. — De Elizabeth, Teen Vogue, "Lara Jean Covey of "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" Is Inspiring Halloween Costumes," 28 Oct. 2018 The ensemble also came equipped with hundreds of fluttering butterflies carried down the runway by a full entourage of shadowy figures – not kidding. — Kelsey Stiegman, Seventeen, "If You Thought Gigi Hadid's Wedding Dress Was Crazy From the Front, Wait Until You See the Back," 21 Sep. 2018 Just kidding: There's definitely crying in the video. — Christopher Rosa, Glamour, "‘Bachelor’ Fans Are Losing It Over Ashley Iaconetti and Jared Haibon's Unexpected Love Story," 23 May 2018 Growing up, when other kids his age were goofing off with each other, the rapper born Darold Ferguson Jr. was instead shadowing his father, who owned a Harlem boutique and designed the iconic Bad Boy Records logo. — Dan Hyman, chicagotribune.com, "ASAP Ferg has taken everything — rap music, fashion, hype — by storm," 12 July 2018

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.