kid
kid — noun
1. a young person who is not yet an adult; one's own offspring when referred to inf
a young person who is not yet an adult; one's own offspring when referred to informally, regardless of how old they are.
Hoa's kids are building a sandcastle near the beach.
possessive + kids for someone's children
The kids in our apartment complex play soccer at the park every Saturday afternoon.
the kids for children in general
A young kid helped the elderly woman carry her shopping bags home.
Ms. Tanaka's art students enjoy drawing colorful animals on large sheets of paper.
- raise kids
- have kids
- school kid
- neighborhood kids
- kids' menu
- kids' room
- adult
a grown-up person; opposite in age and legal status
Grammar Patterns
possessive + kid(s)
Usage Note
Much more common than 'child' in everyday spoken English. Use 'child' in formal writing.
Common Mistakes
2. a young person, especially someone in their late teens or twenties, who is no lo
a young person, especially someone in their late teens or twenties, who is no longer a child.
College kids often stay up late studying for their final exams.
college kids for university students
The café was full of kids in their twenties chatting about travel.
The restaurant hired a bunch of college kids to work during the busy summer season.
Those kids over there just started their first jobs as nurses at the central hospital.
those kids pointing to young adults
- college kids
- city kids
- punk kids
- kids these days
- young person
neutral and more formal; no age ceiling implied
- teenager
specifically ages thirteen to nineteen
- adult
a fully grown person; opposite in maturity and age
Grammar Patterns
modifier + kids
those/these + kids
Usage Note
Used affectionately or dismissively for people in their teens through twenties. Can sound patronizing if used for a professional adult.
Common Mistakes
3. someone's younger brother or sister — only used directly before the words 'broth
someone's younger brother or sister — only used directly before the words 'brother' or 'sister'.
Renata taught her kid sister how to make chocolate chip cookies.
possessive + kid sister for younger sister
My kid brother stayed up late playing video games last night.
Lauren and her kid brother share a bedroom in their small apartment.
Christopher's kid sister just won first prize at the science fair.
- kid brother
- kid sister
- little brother
interchangeable with 'kid brother' in informal speech
- younger sibling
formal and gender-neutral
- big brother
an older brother; the opposite relationship
- older sister
an older sister; the opposite relationship
Grammar Patterns
possessive + kid + brother/sister
Usage Note
Only used attributively before 'brother' or 'sister' ('kid brother', 'kid sister'). Not used in other constructions (*'She is my kid.' to mean younger sibling).
Common Mistakes
4. a person, especially an older adult, who enjoys things that are typically though
a person, especially an older adult, who enjoys things that are typically thought of as being for the young — like video games, pop music, or trendy clothes — and keeps a lively, playful outlook.
Grandpa Emre is such a kid when it comes to new technology gadgets.
such a kid for youthful attitude
The retired nurse is a real kid, always playing games with the children.
Sayaka's aunt is a kid at heart who still goes to rock music concerts.
kid at heart — fixed phrase
Old Mr. Chen is a kid who loves playing online games with his grandson.
- a kid at heart
- such a kid
- real kid
- young at heart
adjectival phrase meaning the same thing; 'My grandfather is young at heart.'
- old soul
someone who seems mature beyond their years; opposite direction of mismatch
Grammar Patterns
be a (real) kid
be a kid at heart
Usage Note
Often humorous or affectionate. Common in the fixed expression 'a kid at heart.' Can describe someone who tries too hard to seem young, with a slightly teasing tone.
5. being so pleased and excited about something that one acts with the simple, live
being so pleased and excited about something that one acts with the simple, lively happiness typical of a child, which may look silly to other people.
Sophia was like a kid in a candy store at the giant book fair.
like a kid in a candy store — fixed simile
When Hoa saw the puppies at the shelter, he was like a kid at Christmas.
like a kid at Christmas — fixed simile
Felipe jumped around like a kid when he heard the good news about his promotion.
Mira was like a kid with a new toy after buying her first camera.
- like a kid
- like a kid in a candy store
- like a kid at Christmas
Grammar Patterns
like a kid
be like a kid in a/the [happy place]
Usage Note
Always used in a comparison structure: 'like a kid.' The full simile 'like a kid in a candy store' is a very common fixed expression.
Common Mistakes
6. a young goat that is less than one year old.
a young goat that is less than one year old.
The newborn kid stood up on its shaky legs within just a few minutes.
newborn kid for a very young goat
The farm's newborn kid wobbled on long legs before collapsing into the hay.
Sana watched the farmer bottle-feed a hungry kid inside the warm barn.
A playful kid jumped off a rock while its mother grazed on fresh grass nearby.
- newborn kid
- baby kid
- mother goat and her kid
- nanny goat
an adult female goat; opposite in age
- billy goat
an adult male goat; opposite in age
7. a smooth, high-quality material obtained from baby goats and used for making sof
a smooth, high-quality material obtained from baby goats and used for making soft gloves, shoes, and jackets.
Élise found a beautiful pair of soft kid leather gloves at the market stall.
kid leather + noun for material compound
The brown kid leather jacket felt incredibly smooth against Christopher's skin.
The kid leather shoes Talia bought for the wedding are lightweight but need careful cleaning.
The tailor recommended kid leather for the dress gloves because it is very soft.
- kid leather gloves
- kid leather jacket
- kid leather shoes
- soft kid leather
- kidskin
a less common single-word alternative for the same material
Grammar Patterns
kid leather + noun (material compound)
made of kid leather
Usage Note
Almost always used as a compound modifier before a noun ('kid leather gloves', 'kid leather jacket'). The single word 'kid' alone rarely refers to the material ('The gloves are made of kid.' is possible but dated).
Common Mistakes
kid around
phrasal verbto behave in a playful or joking way instead of being serious.
The teacher told the students to stop kidding around and focus on the lesson.
Aaron was just kidding around when he said he had quit his job.
extremely happy and excited about being in a place full of things you enjoy, unable to decide what to look at or choose first.
Wren was like a kid in a candy store at the electronics shop, holding every gadget.
When the children saw the dessert table, they were like kids in a candy store.
kid's stuff
idiomsomething so easy or simple that it is suitable for children, or is not worth taking seriously.
After years of training, that puzzle was kid's stuff for the chess champion.
Some adults think playing video games is kid's stuff, but they are wrong.
new kid on the block
idiomsomeone who has recently joined a place, group, or organization and is not yet known or established there.
Renata felt like the new kid on the block during her first week at the company.
That café is the new kid on the block, but it already has long queues outside.
to deal with someone or something very carefully and gently, so as not to upset or damage them.
The manager had to handle the nervous new employee with kid gloves during training.
You have to treat that antique vase with kid gloves or you might break it.
no kidding
idiomused to show surprise at what someone has said, or to emphasize that you are telling the truth.
"I won the race!" "No kidding? That is amazing news!"
No kidding, that was the best meal I have had in years.
To be very gentle and careful with someone to avoid making them angry or upset.
Maya's boss treats her with kid gloves because she is easily upset.
Why do you handle him with kid gloves? He can take criticism.
kids’ stuff
idiomSomething that is very easy or simple, and not suitable for adults.
After climbing mountains, hiking this hill is kids' stuff.
Is that puzzle kids' stuff for you, or do you need help?
A person who has recently joined a place, group, or organization.
Diego felt like the new kid on the block at his new school.
As the new kid on the block, Sara introduced herself to everyone.
kid — verb
1. to say things that are not true in a lighthearted way, briefly making someone be
to say things that are not true in a lighthearted way, briefly making someone believe the false statement as a form of amusement.
Sana laughed and said she was just kidding about the spider on my chair.
just kidding — apology after a joke
Are you kidding me? You actually won first prize in the competition!
Are you kidding me? — expression of surprise
Aaron kept kidding his friend about losing the tennis match last Saturday.
I thought my dad was kidding when he said we were flying to Japan.
- just kidding
- kid someone
- kid about
- no kidding
- you've got to be kidding
Grammar Patterns
kid (someone)
be kidding
be kidding (about something)
Are you kidding me?
Usage Note
Very common in the progressive form ('I'm just kidding'). The fixed question 'Are you kidding me?' expresses surprise or disbelief. 'No kidding' is an idiom meaning 'seriously' or 'really'.
Common Mistakes
2. to convince yourself of something false, usually because the truth would be hard
to convince yourself of something false, usually because the truth would be harder to face than the comforting lie.
Yuki is kidding herself if she thinks she can quit smoking without any help.
kid yourself + if-clause for self-deception
Don't kid yourself — learning a new language takes years of daily practice.
Don't kid yourself — fixed warning expression
Emre kidded himself that his savings would last forever in the expensive city.
If Lakan believes he can pass the exam without studying, he is just kidding himself.
- kid yourself
- don't kid yourself
- kidding yourself if
- deceive yourself
more formal and serious than 'kid yourself'
- fool yourself
similar meaning, equally informal
- face the truth
opposite action — accepting reality instead of avoiding it
Grammar Patterns
kid yourself
don't kid yourself
be kidding yourself if...
Usage Note
Always reflexive — the object must be 'yourself', 'himself', 'herself', etc. The imperative 'Don't kid yourself' is a very common warning phrase.
Common Mistakes
kid — adjective
1. younger — used only before family words like 'brother', 'sister', or 'cousin' to
younger — used only before family words like 'brother', 'sister', or 'cousin' to describe someone who is less old than another person in the same family.
Felipe's kid brother looks just like their father when he was young.
kid brother for younger brother
Sayaka helped her kid sister with the difficult math homework assignment.
Renata and her kid cousin went to see a movie together after school.
Aaron taught his kid brother how to fix a bicycle tire last Sunday.
- kid brother
- kid sister
- kid cousin
Grammar Patterns
kid + [family member noun]
Usage Note
This is the adjective form of noun sense 3. It is always placed before a family-relation noun and never used predicatively (*'He is kid.'). 'Kid brother' and 'kid sister' are the most common combinations.
Common Mistakes
Word family
- kiddingnounB1
- kiddishadjectiveC1
- kidskinnounC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
All four words refer to young humans, but each fits a different context. 'Kid' is the most common in everyday spoken English and covers a wide age range — from babies to teenagers. 'Child' is more neutral and formal, preferred in legal, medical, and educational writing ('child welfare', 'child development'). 'Youngster' is less frequent and has a slightly affectionate tone; it emphasizes youthfulness rather than family relationship ('The youngsters played in the yard'). 'Toddler' is much more specific — a child who has just learned to walk, roughly ages one to three. You would not call a ten-year-old a toddler. For everyday conversation, 'kid' is the natural choice; for official documents, use 'child'. If you want to emphasize how young someone seems, 'youngster' adds a warm tone that 'kid' and 'child' lack.
Common collocations
Etymology
The word 'kid' originally comes from Old Norse 'kið', meaning a young goat. English borrowed it in the medieval period, still referring only to baby goats. By the 16th century, people began using 'kid' as a slang term for a human child, much like we now say 'baby' to mean both a human infant and an endearing term. The verb senses — joking and fooling — developed later from the idea of playful, childlike behavior. The adjective use ('kid brother') came from the noun in the 19th century.