toad

noun

ˈtōd 

1

: any of numerous anuran amphibians (especially family Bufonidae) that are distinguished from the related frogs by being more terrestrial in habit though returning to water to lay their eggs, by having a build that is squatter and shorter with weaker and shorter hind limbs, and by having skin that is rough, dry, and warty rather than smooth and moist

2

: a contemptible person or thing

Illustration of toad

• toad 1

Synonyms

• bastard
• beast
• bleeder [British]
• blighter [chiefly British]
• boor
• bounder
• bugger
• buzzard
• cad
• chuff
• churl
• clown
• creep
• cretin
• crud [slang]
• crumb [slang]
• cur
• dirtbag [slang]
• dog
• fink
• heel
• hound
• jerk
• joker
• louse
• lout
• pill
• rat
• rat fink
• reptile
• rotter
• schmuck [slang]
• scum
• scumbag [slang]
• scuzzball [slang]
• skunk
• sleaze
• sleazebag [slang]
• sleazeball [slang]
• slime
• slimeball [slang]
• slob
• snake
• so-and-so
• sod [chiefly British]
• stinkard
• stinker
• swine
• varmint
• vermin

Examples of toad in a Sentence

He's such a mean little toad.

that miserable toad is lucky to have even a single friend

Recent Examples on the Web

And experts have cautioned that the toxin’s popularity is threatening the health of the toad in the wild. —Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 May 2024

Frogs and toads go from being tadpoles who only have gills to growing lungs. —Beth Lipoff, Kansas City Star, 10 May 2024

The roughly 1-inch-long toad was a juvenile Mesilau stream toad, the study said. —Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 6 May 2024

Cats, elephants and toads have also been observed to exhibit behavior changes upon a pending seismic event, according to the American Kennel Club. —Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 2 May 2024

Those include bird species — Least Bell’s Vireo and coastal cactus wren — and Western spadefoot, an amphibian sometimes referred to as a toad that the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services is proposing be listed as an endangered species. —Lauren J. Mapp, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2024

Enter caecilians, wormlike relatives of frogs, toads, and salamanders that live primarily in tropical areas. —Popular Science, 7 Mar. 2024

Female frogs and toads are usually larger than their male counterparts, since larger sizes are tied to reproductive success, the study authors write. —Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Feb. 2024

The toads are named after Guangxi, the autonomous region in southern China where the reserve is located. —Moira Ritter, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English tode, from Old English tāde, tādige

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing toad

• African clawed toad
• cane toad
• clawed toad
• giant toad
• horned toad
• marine toad
• spadefoot toad
• toad-in-the-hole
• tree toad

Kids Definition

toad

noun

ˈtōd 

: any of numerous tailless leaping amphibians that lay their eggs in water and are distinguished from the related frogs by living on land more often, by having a build that is shorter and thicker with weaker and shorter hind limbs, and by having skin that is rough, dry and warty rather than smooth and moist