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

Richard and Moody tried their hands at Butler-style pullup jumpers, and Hield handled the ball a tad more than Kerr would have probably liked. —Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2026

Tuesday morning will be a tad colder, thanks to light winds and efficient radiational cooling, which occurs when clear skies allow surface heat to radiate back into the atmosphere, cooling temperatures even further. —Mary Wasson, Austin American Statesman, 26 Jan. 2026

In fact, when trying to look at things within ~20 ft (6 m) in front of you, the IR light might just be a tad too much at times, simply whiting out the image. —New Atlas, 25 Jan. 2026

In fact, looking at the film as an adult can feel a tad baffling, watching teens sweat and cry and emote over what feel like non-issues. —Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 24 Jan. 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