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
Examples of kid in a Sentence
Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Nov. 2023
The strong power makes the vacuum great for people with young kids who like to toss pieces of food, too.
—Lauren Taylor, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Nov. 2023
The mom of two traveled recently from her hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Orlando, Florida with her family, excited to introduce her two kids — Graham, 3, and Poppy, 1 — to the magic of Disney.
—Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 22 Nov. 2023
Written and directed by Billy Luther, the coming-of-age film follows Benny (Keir Tallman), a kid sent to spend the summer with his grandmother on the Navajo reservation in Arizona instead of at home in San Diego.
—Los Angeles Times Staff, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2023
That day, as the temperature climbed, Maria and her younger sister sat on their stoop working freeze pops up through their sheaths of clear plastic—a neighborhood favorite, sold at the bodega around the corner for a dime and slurped on by kids all summer long.
—Jacqueline Woodson, Bon Appétit, 21 Nov. 2023
Squealing kids were brachiating on the new playground.
—John Kelly, Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2023
Exposure to lead can damage the brain and nervous system of young children, the Environmental Protection Agency says, resulting in behavior and learning problems in kids who were exposed to even low levels of lead.
—Alexander Tin, CBS News, 21 Nov. 2023
Wildling Pictures has launched a new TV division focusing high-end drama, kids, YA and family content.
—K.j. Yossman, Variety, 10 Nov. 2023
Amanda Ogle, Southern Living, 22 Nov. 2023
There's also a tray in the center for kid snacks, adult nibbles, candy, or non-food items, like a phone, sunglasses, or disinfectant wipes.
—Theresa Holland, Travel + Leisure, 17 Nov. 2023
The menus are really just kid menus with upcharges for gruyere, and there’s always a patch of gravel where my kids can play cornhole or simply eat the gravel, a sight that bothers me less with an IPA in my hand.
—Megan Angelo, Vogue, 17 Nov. 2023
It’s been a rough summer for us: Breakups, divorces, job stuff, kid issues and parent issues.
—USA TODAY, 8 Sep. 2023
Irwin described his childhood as sunny and uneventful, marked by ordinary kid things like working after school selling the weekly magazine Liberty door-to-door, washing dishes in neighborhood coffee shops or ushering at movie theaters to make a bit of pocket money.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2023
Get The Recipe 82 of 92 Cheeseburger Soup This 30-minute ground beef soup is easy and kid friendly.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 11 Oct. 2023
If interested in attending, be aware that the spectacle is popular and kid friendly.
—Mark Graves | , oregonlive, 15 Sep. 2023
And as for the kid/senior price, 13 is Swift’s lucky number.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 31 Aug. 2023
Antonia Debianchi, Peoplemag, 9 Nov. 2023
But few here kid themselves that their worldview is anywhere near making a breakthrough into the Israeli mainstream, where public opinion only seems to have hardened since the Oct. 7 attacks.
—Alexander Smith, NBC News, 27 Oct. 2023
No one thinks Hamas is kidding, and the more successful Israel is in its offensive, the more likely Hamas is to carry out executions.
—Daniel Byman and Seth G. Jones, Foreign Affairs, 14 Oct. 2023
Just kidding—the 26-year-old model is just continuing to take part in the popular no-pants trend during her Tour de Paris Fashion Week, starting with an underwear and tights combo for dinner on September 26.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 29 Sep. 2023
To highlight one of the reasons parents and students often miss warning signs of gun violence: People think the person is just kidding or looking for attention.
—Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 27 Sep. 2023
The fact that it’s said both enthusiastically and slightly facetiously does beg the obvious, perennial question: What’s Americana… all kidding aside?
Standing outside the Ryman Auditorium, where the 22nd annual edition of the awards show was about to go down, Brandi Carlile had an answer.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 26 Sep. 2023
Brady initially thought his older brother was kidding, Until . . .
—Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 16 Sep. 2023
While the Taylor-sized hole was certainly felt on stage, Benioff wasn’t kidding about having a great time.
—Bykylie Robison, Fortune, 15 Sep. 2023
Carina Chocano, Harper's BAZAAR, 23 Mar. 2023
Yolk gotta be kidding.
—Erin Cavoto, Country Living, 22 Mar. 2023
No, all – all kidding aside.
—Chris Mueller, USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2023
But Ballard wasn’t kidding.
—The Indianapolis Star, 5 Mar. 2023
Italians have been kidding themselves.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2023
Dahl was kidding about the need to censor a cherished children’s story, but Dahl’s publisher isn’t.
—Ron Charles, Washington Post, 24 Feb. 2023
Brothers can't wait to kid him.
—Eric Sondheimer
columnist
follow, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2022
Can’t kid a kidder, fellas.
—Nick Canepacolumnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 July 2022
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'kid.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Noun, Adjective, and Verb (2)
Middle English kide, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse kith kid
Verb (1)
probably from kid entry 1
Noun
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a
Adjective
1895, in the meaning defined above
Verb (1)
1901, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Verb (2)
15th century, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing kid
Dictionary Entries Near kid
Cite this Entry
“Kid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kid. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
kid
2 of 2 verb
More from Merriam-Webster on kid
Nglish: Translation of kid for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of kid for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about kid
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