kidding

UK: ˈkɪdɪŋ | US: ˈkɪdɪŋ

Definition

  1. v. (present participle of kid) meaning 1: joking or teasing someone playfully

  2. v. meaning 2: deceiving or fooling someone (often used in negative constructions, e.g., "No kidding!")

Structure
kid <young goat or child>ing <present participle suffix>
Etymology

The word "kid" originally referred to a young goat in Old Norse (kið), later extended metaphorically to mean "child" in informal English (16th century). The verb form "to kid" emerged in the 19th century, meaning "to tease playfully" or "to deceive lightly," likely from the idea of playful behavior associated with young goats or children. The suffix "-ing" marks the present participle form, indicating an ongoing action (e.g., joking or deceiving).

Examples

  1. "Stop kidding around—we need to focus!"

  2. "Are you kidding me? That’s unbelievable!"

  3. "She’s just kidding; don’t take her words seriously."

  4. "No kidding, I actually met the president yesterday."

  5. "He kept kidding his brother about the silly hat."