tad

noun

ˈtad How to pronounce tad (audio)
Synonyms of tadnext
1
: a small or insignificant amount or degree : bit
might give him some water and a tad to eat— C. T. Walker
2
: a small child
especially : boy
Phrases
a tad
: somewhat, rather
looked a tad bigger than me— Larry Hodgson

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of tad in a Sentence

there's more than just a tad of hyperbole in the critics' praise for the promising young pianist grandfather never tires of telling us about the days when he was just a tad
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Levi Strauss Signature Gold High-Rise Loose Straight-Leg Jeans For something a tad looser, try these $25 jeans by Levi Strauss Signature. — Clara McMahon, People.com, 29 Mar. 2025 While his team’s TV network wants to sell you Pete Crow-Armstrong’s MVP candidacy and comps to one of the better North Side teams in recent memory, Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer is a tad more realistic after an eye-opening trip to Japan. — Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025 Sellers looked up from the box score, her glasses fogging up a tad. — Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 28 Mar. 2025 Airbus has lifted the curtain just a tad and given us a glimpse at the future of commercial aviation. — New Atlas, 27 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tad

Word History

Etymology

probably from English dialect, toad, from Middle English tode — more at toad

First Known Use

circa 1877, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of tad was circa 1877

Rhymes for tad

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Browse Nearby Words

tactual
tad
ta-da
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Cite this Entry

“Tad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tad. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

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