kidding 1 of 3

adjective

as in joking
marked by or expressive of mild or good-natured teasing made kidding remarks about her lack of skills in the kitchen

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kidding

2 of 3

noun

as in fooling

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kidding

3 of 3

verb

present participle of kid
1
as in teasing
to make fun of in a good-natured way everybody's kidding me about my new haircut

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in jesting
to make jokes he always kids around about his "wild and crazy" life as an accountant

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of kidding
Noun
Just kidding—We're loving this retro toy comeback! — Parents, 23 June 2026 My heart beats faster just thinking about all of them, no kidding. — Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 13 June 2026 Just kidding, massage certificate is the way to go. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 10 May 2026 Just kidding, but really, dad-like pairs have been de-throned by low-profile sneakers that have a low sole and slim exterior. — Kaitlin Clapinski, InStyle, 11 Apr. 2026 Here’s what winning a National Championship taught me about B2B sales 🏆 (kidding…kinda) 1. — Greg Rosenstein, NBC news, 22 Jan. 2026 While fictional, Joel’s compassion and care can’t help but feel like counterprogramming to the cynical everyday horrors of violent deportations, open bigotry from leading politicians, measles outbreaks and the return of whole milk (kidding! — Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 18 Dec. 2025 Just kidding, that’s next Sunday. — Alex Kirshner, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025 On New Year's Eve, the weather was a balmy (kidding) 25 degrees Fahrenheit, and after spending hours braving the cold, peeling off our wet socks and stepping onto the warm wooden floors was pure heaven. — Kayla Brock, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Jan. 2025
Verb
But Guthrie wasn’t kidding, slipping into a yellow gingham dress before joining her co-hosts on the Today Show Plaza to greet visitors. — Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 7 July 2026 Just kidding, but seeing Angela’s team sweep Shamea’s at the Bailey Bowl basketball tournament was almost as satisfying as knowing Charles got to witness his former team’s historic win in person. — Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 22 June 2026 Room was kidding, but someone inside Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday night had the power to make that happen. — Pete Grathoff june 21, Kansas City Star, 21 June 2026 The connection to nature at Vista Celestial is truly profound, with wildlife waiting for you at the door—I'm not kidding, at one point, a capuchin monkey walked onto our patio to say hello. — Christina Perrier, InStyle, 8 June 2026 And even while kidding, Kupp couldn’t help but say out loud what many Rams followers are thinking. — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026 Zucker watched the video and thought Harper — more known for his brush with greatness as a two-time NL MVP — was kidding. — CBS News, 28 May 2026 Gilpin isn’t kidding about the haunting. — Hunter Ingram, Variety, 27 May 2026 Gosling, of course, was kidding. — Jake Coyle, Fortune, 6 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kidding
  1. fooling
  2. joking
  3. mocking
  4. teasing
  5. ribbing
  6. joke
  7. razzing
Noun
  • No fooling, April brings some pretty interesting surprises on Netflix.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
Definition of fooling
Verb
  • As for coming to America in 2026, who would shoulder the exorbitant costs and the travel challenges, let alone the risk of being pulled out of a line at the Atlanta airport, interrogated, and sent back home for joking about penalty shoot-outs?
    — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 17 July 2026
  • Perhaps just not serious enough for Kerr to resist joking that the job is already done and the player is secured.
    — Devon Henderson, New York Times, 16 July 2026
Definition of joking
Noun
  • Paul’s confidence was growing, and the left tackle seemingly responded to his challengers by laughing at their efforts in a mocking manner.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 26 June 2026
  • Arteta and his Arsenal squad have, of course, downplayed the noise around the club this season, arguing that the widespread mocking doesn’t impact the inner sanctum of the team.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2026
Definition of mocking
Verb
  • After teasing us for a while, Volvo finally showed off the EX30 for real in 2023.
    — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 1 July 2026
  • Nike has been teasing its forthcoming partnership with the German team throughout this World Cup.
    — Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 29 June 2026
Definition of teasing
Noun
  • A little playful ribbing may be fair game among rivals, but piling on rarely helps in the immediate aftermath.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 18 June 2026
  • The conversation had the recognizable rhythm of sports fans’ mixture of banter and good-natured ribbing.
    — Dan Greene, New Yorker, 12 June 2026
Definition of ribbing
Noun
  • Nathan thinks Joe is teasing him about his cleanliness, and jokes back that Joe hasn’t changed his sheets, either.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 14 July 2026
  • The jokes about a modern couple trapped in a magical town stuck more than 200 years in the past hit the mark with just the right amount of bawdy fun.
    — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
Definition of joke
Noun
  • Fans of both teams traded chants and lighthearted razzing as their light-rail train neared the stadium.
    — Gabriel Sama, Mercury News, 1 July 2026
  • Fans of both have had to endure constant razzing for underperforming on the big stage.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 10 June 2026
Definition of razzing

Browse Nearby Words

kiddies
kidding
kidding (around)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Kidding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kidding. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on kidding

Nglish: Translation of kidding for Spanish Speakers

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