tad

noun

ˈtad 

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

He looked a tad bigger than me.

—Larry Hodgson

Synonyms of tad

• bit
• little
• sprinkling
• glimmer
• splash
• hint
• shred
• speck
• touch

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

The vehicle’s sharp edges have also been softened just a tad and its ride height lowered, which combine to give the car an even more athletic air. —Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 22 Apr. 2026

Finally, capital expenditures came in a tad higher than expected, but strong operating cash flow performance set the stage for free cash flow to outperform expectations. —Zev Fima, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2026

But even if the Rockets are a tad bit disjointed, facing the trio of Thompson, Sengun and Durant without the star quality to match feels like too much of a challenge. —Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 17 Apr. 2026

The white wine cuts the dense sauce just a tad for a dish that tastes like hard work. —Amanda Favazza, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2026

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

Rhymes for tad

• ad
• add
• bad
• brad
• cad
• clad
• dad
• fad
• gad
• glad
• grad
• had

Kids Definition

tad

noun

ˈtad 

1

: boy sense 1

2

: bit entry 2 sense 1