wad

1 of 2

noun

ˈwäd 

1

: a small mass, bundle, or tuft: such as

a

: a soft mass especially of a loose fibrous material variously used (as to stop an aperture, pad a garment, or hold grease around an axle)

b(1)

: a soft plug used to retain a powder charge or to avoid windage especially in a muzzle-loading gun

(2)

: a felt or paper disk used to separate the components of a shotgun cartridge

c

: a small mass of a chewing substance

a wad of gum

2

: a considerable amount (as of money)

3

a

: a roll of paper money

b

: money

wad

2 of 2

verb

wadded; wadding

transitive verb

1

a

: to insert a wad into

wad a gun

b

: to hold in by a wad

wad a bullet in a gun

2

: to form into a wad or wadding

especially : to roll or crush into a tight wad

3

: to stuff or line with some soft substance

wadder noun

Synonyms of wad

Noun

• loads
• ton
• plenty
• dozen
• chunk
• bunch
• pile
• slew
• deal
• lot
• bundle
• quantity
• stack
• wealth
• raft

Verb

• round
• roll
• ball

Examples of wad in a Sentence

Noun

He spent a wad on clothes.

a starlet who usually gets a big wad of publicity for her nonstop antics

Verb

she wadded up the paper and threw it in the wastebasket

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Each sock features a discreet zippered pocket on the calf, just big enough to fit a credit card, a hotel key, or a wad of cash. —Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 15 Feb. 2026

Naturally, Davis doesn’t want to give out his insurance information and offers to pay for damages with a massive wad of cash. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 13 Feb. 2026

Verb

Simply tear off a sheet of heavy-duty foil, wad it up to form a homemade scouring pad, and get to scrubbing. —Darcy Lenz, Southern Living, 17 Feb. 2026

The Socks Are Inside Other Clothes Did the sock actually enter another space-time continuum—or did it get wadded up in someone's pant leg? —Katie Cloyd, Martha Stewart, 5 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English wadde, from Medieval Latin wadda

First Known Use

Noun

1556, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for wad

• awed
• baaed
• baud
• bawd
• brod
• clawed
• cod
• flawed
• fraud
• gnawed
• god
• jawed

Kids Definition

wad

1 of 2 noun

ˈwäd 

1

: a small mass, bundle, or tuft

a wad of cotton

2

: a soft pad or plug used to hold a powder charge in a gun or cartridge

3

a

: a roll of paper money

b

: a large amount (as of money)

spent a wad on clothes

wad

2 of 2 verb

wadded; wadding

1

: to form into a wad or wadding

wad up a handkerchief

2

: to stuff or line with soft material