“Are you putting me on?” is an informal way to say “Are you joking with me?” or “Are you kidding me?” and expresses disbelief or surprise at what someone just said.

Phrase meaning

  • The core meaning is that the speaker thinks the other person might be teasing, tricking, or not being serious.
  • Common neutral equivalents are “Are you serious?” , “You’re not for real, right?”, or “You must be joking.”

Typical situations

  • When hearing surprising news: “I won the lottery.” – “Are you putting me on?”
  • When something sounds too extreme, unlikely, or silly, and the listener wants to check if it’s a joke.

Nuance and tone

  • It is casual spoken English, most common in North American conversation.
  • Tone can be playful or mildly skeptical but not usually aggressive; context and voice decide whether it sounds amused or annoyed.

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