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 Waymo moves forward a tad before freezing. —Karoline Leonard, Austin American Statesman, 2 Mar. 2026

But that new pre-reception area was also just a tad too compact for an 80 degree day, especially with everyone wearing their best formalwear. —Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 2 Mar. 2026

Try a shade just a tad lighter than your base or keep it monochrome for a playful, yet classy vibe. —Amanda Le, InStyle, 27 Feb. 2026

Hollander’s Collins does everything just a tad wrong — arrives at the Bennets with an overlarge hat, rambles at the dinner table, struggles through a country dance. —Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 26 Feb. 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