Other Ways to Say “You’re Kidding” In 2026

Quick Answer:
Top Alternatives: “Are you serious?”, “No way!”, “You’ve got to be joking!”, “Really?”, “Get out of here!”
“You’re kidding” is a casual expression used to show disbelief, surprise, or playful shock. These alternatives help you express the same reaction in informal, casual, and professional contexts without sounding repetitive.

The phrase “you’re kidding” is commonly used in spoken English to express disbelief, surprise, or playful teasing. It is informal and friendly, but in professional settings, it may need a more neutral or polite alternative.

Learning alternatives to “you’re kidding” allows you to express excitement in English, surprise, or disbelief naturally and flexibly.

By using a range of expressions, you can react appropriately whether you’re chatting with friends, colleagues, or responding in professional emails.

Quick Categories of Alternatives

Formal Alternatives to “You’re Kidding”

“Are you serious?”
“I find that hard to believe.”
“Is that correct?”
“That’s quite surprising.”

Pro Tip: Use formal alternatives in professional emails or polite conversation to express disbelief without sounding rude.

Casual Alternatives

“No way!”
“You’ve got to be joking!”
“Really?”
“Get out of here!”

Pro Tip: Casual phrases work best with friends, social media, or informal texts where playful disbelief is acceptable.

Professional Alternatives

“I wasn’t expecting that.”
“That’s unexpected.”
“Is that accurate?”
“I’m surprised to hear that.”

Pro Tip: Professional phrases are ideal for meetings, presentations, or email correspondence.

Informal Expressions

“Seriously?”
“You must be kidding me!”
“No kidding!”
“Come on!”

Pro Tip: Informal expressions are perfect for voice chats, texting, or casual face-to-face conversations.

Common Mistakes

Using slang in formal settings
Example: “Get out of here!” — too casual for professional emails
Overusing “You’re kidding” repeatedly
Example: “You’re kidding, you’re kidding” — redundant
Mixing casual and formal tones
Example: “I find that hard to believe, seriously?” — inconsistent
Responding sarcastically in professional settings
Example: “No way, really?” — may be interpreted as rude
Not matching context
Example: Using “No kidding!” in a serious professional report — inappropriate

What Does “You’re Kidding” Mean?

Definition: An informal expression used to show disbelief, surprise, or amusement at something unexpected.

Grammar: Usually a declarative sentence or exclamation. Can also be a question: “You’re kidding?”

Example: “You got promoted? You’re kidding!”

When to Use “You’re Kidding”

Reacting to surprising news
Showing disbelief in casual conversation
Texts, social media comments, or face-to-face reactions
Spoken vs. written: Informal messages vs professional emails
Formal vs. informal: Friendly chats vs office communication

Is It Professional or Polite to Say “You’re Kidding”?

Polite? ✔️ Casual friendly contexts
Professional? ⚠️ Usually too informal

Business Example: “That’s unexpected. I wasn’t expecting that result.”

Pros and Cons of Using “You’re Kidding”

Pros:

Friendly and natural
Expresses surprise clearly
Widely understood
Works in casual conversation

Cons:

Too informal for professional contexts
Overused in casual speech
Can sound sarcastic if tone isn’t clear
Limited to conversational English

Other Ways to Say “You’re Kidding” (30+ Examples)

These alternatives help you sound more fluent, confident, and natural. Choose based on tone, audience, and context.

1–10

Phrase: Are you serious?
- Meaning: Formal or neutral disbelief
- Example: “Are you serious? You won the award?”
- Best Use: Professional / casual | Worst Use: Slang-heavy | Tone: Polite, surprised
Phrase: No way!
- Meaning: Informal disbelief
- Example: “No way! That actually happened?”
- Best Use: Casual | Worst Use: Formal | Tone: Friendly, shocked
Phrase: You’ve got to be joking!
- Meaning: Strong casual disbelief
- Example: “You’ve got to be joking! He really did that?”
- Best Use: Casual | Worst Use: Professional email | Tone: Playful, shocked
Phrase: Really?
- Meaning: Neutral surprise
- Example: “Really? I didn’t know that.”
- Best Use: Casual / professional | Worst Use: Slang-heavy | Tone: Neutral, questioning
Phrase: Get out of here!
- Meaning: Playful or shocked reaction
- Example: “Get out of here! You met the celebrity?”
- Best Use: Casual | Worst Use: Professional | Tone: Playful, informal
Phrase: I wasn’t expecting that
- Meaning: Professional / polite surprise
- Example: “I wasn’t expecting that result from the survey.”
- Best Use: Professional | Worst Use: Casual slang | Tone: Neutral, polite
Phrase: That’s unexpected
- Meaning: Formal expression of surprise
- Example: “That’s unexpected. The project finished early.”
- Best Use: Professional | Worst Use: Overly casual | Tone: Neutral, formal
Phrase: Seriously?
- Meaning: Informal disbelief
- Example: “Seriously? You bought a new car already?”
- Best Use: Casual | Worst Use: Formal email | Tone: Friendly, shocked
Phrase: No kidding!
- Meaning: Informal acknowledgment of surprise
- Example: “No kidding! That sounds amazing.”
- Best Use: Casual | Worst Use: Professional | Tone: Friendly, playful
Phrase: Come on!
- Meaning: Playful disbelief
- Example: “Come on! That can’t be true!”
- Best Use: Informal | Worst Use: Business email | Tone: Playful, casual

“The right phrase makes your disbelief sound natural and engaging.”

11–20

Phrase: You must be joking!
- Meaning: Strong disbelief
- Example: “You must be joking! He said what?”
- Best Use: Casual | Worst Use: Professional | Tone: Playful, shocked
Phrase: Are you for real?
- Meaning: Informal question about truth
- Example: “Are you for real? That’s incredible!”
- Best Use: Casual | Worst Use: Formal | Tone: Friendly, surprised
Phrase: Seriously now?
- Meaning: Playful disbelief
- Example: “Seriously now? You finished the marathon?”
- Best Use: Casual | Worst Use: Professional | Tone: Playful, shocked
Phrase: I can’t believe it!
- Meaning: Expressing surprise
- Example: “I can’t believe it! You got tickets to the concert?”
- Best Use: Casual / semi-formal | Worst Use: Overly formal | Tone: Excited, surprised
Phrase: That can’t be true
- Meaning: Neutral disbelief
- Example: “That can’t be true. Are you sure?”
- Best Use: Professional | Worst Use: Casual slang | Tone: Polite, neutral
Phrase: No chance!
- Meaning: Informal disbelief
- Example: “No chance! You met the president?”
- Best Use: Casual | Worst Use: Formal | Tone: Playful, shocked
Phrase: You’re joking, right?
- Meaning: Seeking confirmation
- Example: “You’re joking, right? That can’t be serious.”
- Best Use: Casual / semi-formal | Worst Use: Formal reports | Tone: Friendly, surprised
Phrase: That’s hard to believe
- Meaning: Polite disbelief
- Example: “That’s hard to believe. Are you certain?”
- Best Use: Professional | Worst Use: Slang-heavy | Tone: Polite, formal
Phrase: Really now?
- Meaning: Playful disbelief
- Example: “Really now? He actually did that?”
- Best Use: Casual | Worst Use: Professional | Tone: Playful, shocked
Phrase: I don’t believe it!
- Meaning: Neutral surprise
- Example: “I don’t believe it! That’s amazing news.”
- Best Use: Casual / semi-formal | Worst Use: Overly formal | Tone: Friendly, surprised

“Formal, casual, and professional alternatives let you adapt tone seamlessly.”

21–30

Phrase: You’re pulling my leg
- Meaning: Informal playful disbelief
- Example: “You’re pulling my leg! That’s not true, is it?”
- Best Use: Casual | Worst Use: Formal | Tone: Playful, joking
Phrase: Stop joking!
- Meaning: Informal disbelief
- Example: “Stop joking! That’s unbelievable.”
- Best Use: Casual | Worst Use: Professional | Tone: Playful, shocked
Phrase: You’ve got to be kidding me
- Meaning: Strong informal disbelief
- Example: “You’ve got to be kidding me! That’s incredible.”
- Best Use: Casual | Worst Use: Professional | Tone: Shocked, playful
Phrase: No kidding, really?
- Meaning: Informal confirmation
- Example: “No kidding, really? That’s awesome.”
- Best Use: Casual | Worst Use: Formal | Tone: Friendly, playful
Phrase: I’m in disbelief
- Meaning: Polite or formal surprise
- Example: “I’m in disbelief at how fast the project finished.”
- Best Use: Professional | Worst Use: Casual slang | Tone: Neutral, polite
Phrase: You can’t be serious
- Meaning: Strong disbelief
- Example: “You can’t be serious! That’s impossible.”
- Best Use: Casual / semi-formal | Worst Use: Overly formal | Tone: Playful, shocked
Phrase: I’m shocked
- Meaning: Neutral surprise
- Example: “I’m shocked by the news.”
- Best Use: Professional / casual | Worst Use: Slang-heavy | Tone: Neutral, serious
Phrase: That’s unbelievable
- Meaning: Neutral to positive disbelief
- Example: “That’s unbelievable! You finished early?”
- Best Use: Casual / professional | Worst Use: Slang-heavy | Tone: Friendly, surprised
Phrase: No way, seriously?
- Meaning: Informal disbelief
- Example: “No way, seriously? That’s amazing.”
- Best Use: Casual | Worst Use: Formal | Tone: Friendly, playful
Phrase: You’re messing with me
- Meaning: Playful disbelief
- Example: “You’re messing with me! That can’t be real.”
- Best Use: Casual | Worst Use: Professional | Tone: Playful, joking

“Expressing surprise in English is about context, not just words.”

Mini Quiz / Self-Check

Which is professional: “No way!” or “I wasn’t expecting that”?
- ✅ “I wasn’t expecting that”
Best casual phrase for friends:
- A) “You’re joking, right?”
- B) “That’s quite surprising”
- ✅ A
Which is too informal for a business email?
- A) “Are you serious?”
- B) “You’re messing with me”
- ✅ B
Proper formal phrase for email feedback:
- A) “You’ve got to be joking!”
- B) “That’s hard to believe”
- ✅ B

Comparison Table: Top 10 Alternatives

Phrase	Tone	Best Use
Are you serious?	Polite	Professional / casual
No way!	Informal	Casual
You’ve got to be joking!	Playful	Casual
Really?	Neutral	Casual / professional
Get out of here!	Playful	Casual
I wasn’t expecting that	Polite	Professional
That’s unexpected	Formal	Professional
Seriously?	Casual	Informal / casual
No kidding!	Casual	Informal
Come on!	Playful	Casual

FAQs

1. What is a polite way to say “you’re kidding”?
Use “I find that hard to believe” or “That’s quite surprising” in professional contexts.

2. Can I use casual alternatives in emails?
Casual phrases like “No way!” or “You’ve got to be joking!” are best avoided in formal emails.

3. How do I react to surprising news with friends?
Informal options like “Seriously?” or “Get out of here!” work perfectly.

4. Which phrases are professional for meetings?
“I wasn’t expecting that” or “That’s unexpected” are safe for professional contexts.

5. Why learn multiple alternatives?
It improves fluency, ensures tone-appropriate reactions, and lets you express excitement in English naturally.

Conclusion

Learning 30 alternatives to “you’re kidding” ensures you react naturally, whether casually with friends or professionally in the workplace. By adapting tone and context, your surprise or disbelief will feel authentic and appropriate.

Practice using different expressions in conversations, messages, or emails to build confidence in your reactions. Over time, you’ll express shock, disbelief, or playful surprise with fluency and style.