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

For those accustomed to smoother Pixar rides, the shifts in rhythm might be a tad too noticeable, but Lasseter, who also penned the script along with Dan Fogelman, the late Joe Ranft, Kiel Murray & Phil Lorin and Jorgen Klubien, still manages to cross the finish line in style. —Michael Rechtshaffen, HollywoodReporter, 9 June 2026

But, there’s always a but, getting Giannis Antetokounmpo, unfortunately late in his productive career, would be just pie in the sky generating a tad bit of interest from fans, assuming of course the guy can still line up and give us minutes. —Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 8 June 2026

Even though the special effects seem a tad dated, the spell this film weaves remains unbroken. —Randy Myers, Mercury News, 8 June 2026

For someone with as tectonic of an impact on life and culture as Madonna, the phrase might register as a tad cliché. —Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 8 June 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