kidding
kidding — verb
1. to say something as a joke, especially when you want the other person to underst
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.'
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
When Constanza told her father she had won a full scholarship, he shouted, 'You're kidding!'
Shanti heard the train was cancelled and said, 'No kidding? How will people get home?'
Christopher told his boss he was quitting, but he was just kidding the whole time.
- 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
文法句型
be + just kidding
you + be + kidding (me)?
be + kidding (interrogative)
no kidding
用法筆記
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.