toad

noun

ˈtōd 

1

: any of numerous anuran amphibians (especially family Bufonidae) that are distinguished from the related frogs by being more terrestrial in habit though returning to water to lay their eggs, by having a build that is squatter and shorter with weaker and shorter hind limbs, and by having skin that is rough, dry, and warty rather than smooth and moist

2

: a contemptible person or thing

Illustration of toad

• toad 1

Synonyms

• bastard
• beast
• bleeder [British]
• blighter [chiefly British]
• boor
• bounder
• bugger
• buzzard
• cad
• chuff
• churl
• clown
• creep
• cretin
• crud [slang]
• crumb [slang]
• cur
• dirtbag [slang]
• dog
• fink
• heel
• hound
• jerk
• joker
• louse
• lout
• pill
• rat
• rat fink
• reptile
• rotter
• schmuck [slang]
• scum
• scumbag [slang]
• scuzzball [slang]
• skunk
• sleaze
• sleazebag [slang]
• sleazeball [slang]
• slime
• slimeball [slang]
• slob
• snake
• so-and-so
• sod [chiefly British]
• stinkard
• stinker
• swine
• varmint
• vermin

Examples of toad in a Sentence

He's such a mean little toad.

that miserable toad is lucky to have even a single friend

Recent Examples on the Web

National Park Service teams will monitor and track the toads using radio transmitters. —Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2024

Medicines gathered from toads can also be used, such as 5-MeO-DMT, which can also be derived from plants, and Kambo, a poisonous toad secretion that is applied to the skin through small burn wounds. —Food Drink Life, The Mercury News, 22 June 2024

In completely unexposed areas, however, the lizards virtually disappeared after the big toads showed up. —Gennaro Tomma, Scientific American, 17 June 2024

With a generalist diet, Nile monitors will eat anything from turtle eggs to spiders to toads. —Hannah Farrow, Orlando Sentinel, 24 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English tode, from Old English tāde, tādige

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing toad

• African clawed toad
• cane toad
• clawed toad
• giant toad
• horned toad
• marine toad
• spadefoot toad
• toad-in-the-hole
• tree toad

Kids Definition

toad

noun

ˈtōd 

: any of numerous tailless leaping amphibians that lay their eggs in water and are distinguished from the related frogs by living on land more often, by having a build that is shorter and thicker with weaker and shorter hind limbs, and by having skin that is rough, dry and warty rather than smooth and moist