What does kidder mean?
A kidder is someone who jokes, teases, or plays harmless tricks, usually for amusement rather than harm. The term often carries an affectionate or good-natured connotation, suggesting a person who likes making others laugh and may enjoy practical jokes. It is chiefly informal and is often used of children, friends, or playful public figures. In some contexts, calling someone a kidder can imply that they treat a serious subject lightly, so the tone may be gently critical rather than admiring. The phrase “no kidder” and expressions such as “a bit of a kidder” are especially common in informal British English. The word is useful when a definition needs to identify not merely a humorous person, but someone whose humour centres on teasing, banter, or playful deception. It is less suitable for describing someone who is simply witty, or a comedian whose humour is based principally on jokes.
nounA person who jokes, teases, or plays harmless tricks, especially in a good-natured way.
- A person who jokes, teases, or plays harmless tricks.
- A person who behaves playfully or facetiously.
"Her brother is a friendly kidder who always has a joke ready."
"The office kidder always leaves a rubber duck on the keyboard."
"Her dry sense of humor made her seem like a kidder, though she rarely shared jokes in meetings."
The plural is formed by adding -s to kidder.
"The two kidders persuaded the audience to join their final prank."
A kidder may be the class clown, but the laughter is usually aimed at everyone rather than anyone.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does kidder come from?
The word is formed from kid in its older sense of joking or playing tricks, with the suffix -er indicating a person who performs that action. Modern English kid, meaning a child, comes through Middle English from Old English cild; related forms such as childhood, childish, and childlike continue that broader family. The humour-related sense of kid and the derived noun kidder developed alongside the more familiar modern meanings associated with children and playful deception.
How kidder is actually used
Chiefly informal and usually affectionate or good-natured. It can sometimes suggest that someone is habitually playful or unserious.
Easily confused with kidder
A kid is a child or young person, whereas a kidder is someone who jokes or playfully teases others.