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 level of project may be a tad higher this edition, but there’s not much in it. —Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 12 Nov. 2025

Note that store brand turkeys may be a tad cheaper. —Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Nov. 2025

Before the former became a modern classic, its debut was considered a touch plodding and a tad dark. —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 6 Nov. 2025

Looking for something a tad bit smaller to take with you to the Cabo girls trip that finally made it out of the group chat? —Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2025

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