kidding

kidding — verb

1. to say something as a joke, especially when you want the other person to underst

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveA2
Definition

to say something as a joke, especially when you want the other person to understand you did not mean it seriously — used in common spoken phrases such as 'just kidding', 'you're kidding', 'are you kidding me?', and 'no kidding.'

Example

Emre told his sister he ate her chocolate, smiled and said he was just kidding.

fixed phrase: 'just kidding' — clarifying a joke

Élise asked, 'Are you kidding me?' after hearing the mechanic's two-thousand-dollar repair bill.

fixed phrase: 'are you kidding me?' — expressing disbelief

Common collocations
  • just kidding
  • you're kidding
  • you're kidding me
  • are you kidding me
  • no kidding
  • you've got to be kidding
  • I was only kidding
  • I'm not kidding
Synonyms
  • joking

    more neutral in register; 'joking' works in slightly more formal contexts than 'kidding'

  • teasing

    implies a slightly sharper or more personal edge than 'kidding'

  • pulling someone's leg

    informal phrase meaning the same as 'kidding', with a slightly warmer, playful tone

Antonyms
  • serious

    the opposite spirit; a serious statement is not meant as a joke

  • sincere

    contrasts with the playful deception implied by 'kidding'

Grammar Patterns

be + just kidding

you + be + kidding (me)?

be + kidding (interrogative)

no kidding

Usage Note

Kidding almost always appears in one of several short fixed expressions in conversation. 'Just kidding' (or 'I'm just kidding') is used right after a joke to show you were not serious. 'You're kidding' and 'Are you kidding me?' express surprise, disbelief, or outrage. 'No kidding' can convey genuine surprise ('No kidding? That's amazing!') or, with a flat tone, sarcastic acknowledgment ('No kidding, I already knew that'). All of these are informal and belong to spoken rather than written English. The progressive form ('was kidding', 'been kidding') is the only form used in these expressions; the simple past 'kidded' is rare.

Common Mistakes

I'm kidding you.
I'm just kidding.' or 'I'm kidding.
'kidding' without 'just' can sound abrupt; adding 'just' makes the apology clear and natural.
In the formal meeting, I was kidding about the budget cuts.
During the break, I joked about the budget cuts.
'kidding' is too informal for professional or serious settings; use 'joke' instead.

Word family

  • kid
    verbA2
  • kidder
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All three words describe playful or untrue statements, but they differ in tone and use. 'Kid' (kidding) is the most informal and is almost always limited to the set phrases described above; it implies a brief, friendly deception that gets revealed right away. 'Joke' is more neutral and can be used in both conversation and writing ('I was only joking' works in semi-formal contexts where 'kidding' would sound too casual). 'Tease' has a slightly sharper edge — it focuses on the person being targeted ('Stop teasing your little brother'), whereas 'kidding' is about the speaker's own playful intent. When you want to clarify that a statement was not serious, 'just kidding' is the most natural choice for everyday talk; 'just joking' feels slightly more deliberate, and 'just teasing' implies someone specific is being ragged on.

kid (verb)joke ↗tease

Common collocations

Phrases

  • just kidding
  • you're kidding
  • you're kidding me
  • are you kidding me
  • no kidding
  • you've got to be kidding
  • I was only kidding
  • I'm not kidding

Etymology

English (noun: child)English (verb: to fool)English (present participle: fixed expressions)

The verb 'kid' comes from the noun 'kid' (a child). In the early 1800s, English speakers began using 'kid' as a verb meaning 'to fool or treat like a child,' and by the mid-1800s it had softened into the modern meaning of joking or teasing playfully. The present-participle form 'kidding' then became fixed in the short conversational phrases that are now the most common way the word is used.