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

Folks who can afford today’s lofty rents are a limited group, especially when the job market’s a tad wobbly. —Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 1 June 2026

After the graduating seniors walked into Welsh-Ryan Arena, a tad fewer in number than the Glenbrook South grads who got their diplomas the previous day, the senior choir sang the national anthem. —Shun Graves, Chicago Tribune, 1 June 2026

Starting a tad later in 2008, SpaceX has managed to shoot 14,844 payloads into space – almost equal to the total of the rest of the world combined. —David Szondy may 31, New Atlas, 31 May 2026

One thing about Claude, his Canadian-French accent could be a tad thick. —Mac Engel may 29, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 May 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