The verb meaning to tease or joke with someone, or the noun meaning the act of joking; often used as 'just kidding' to soften something playful.
From the verb 'kid,' which originally meant 'to treat a child,' then evolved to mean 'to tease playfully' by the 1800s, with 'kidding' as the continuous form.
The phrase 'I'm kidding' is so common that linguists call it a 'mitigating device'—we use it to soften jokes so people don't think we're serious or mean, making it essential to how we communicate humor safely.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.