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 renderings of what was shown to Hopewell Township resident Kyle Eaton were a tad baffling. —Chilekasi Adele, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026

Need something a tad different for your setup? —Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 6 Apr. 2026

Parents and bosses might be a tad righteous or overbearing. —Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 5 Apr. 2026

Surely, the commander in chief would be a tad concerned upon learning this news. —Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 3 Apr. 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