toad

noun \ ˈtōd \

Definition of toad

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

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See toad defined for kids

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 of toad from the Web

Our claim is that there are many compounds in the toads that are worth researching for humans.

— jackson landers, Smithsonian, "Here’s Why You Should Never Kiss a Toad," 10 Feb. 2017
The golden toads have already been pushed off the top.

— katie quirk, Slate Magazine, "How My Costa Rican Neighbors Jolted Me Out of Climate Activist Apathy," 8 Aug. 2017
Bring kids in costume for not-so-scary Halloween games and crafts and to learn about nocturnal creatures such as owls, toads, snakes and spiders.

— jennifer jhon, South Florida Parenting, "What to do with the kids this weekend: kid-friendly Halloween fun," 25 Oct. 2017
Those sniveling toads are too afraid of losing the electoral support of Trump and his minions.

— GQ, "ESPN Fed Jemele Hill to the Wolves," 11 Oct. 2017
For instance, visitors can scan through an electronic infographic for terrariums filled with camouflaging Gulf Coast toads, then head outside onto more than 2 miles of dirt and boardwalk trails to espy the bayou's flora and fauna.

— beau evans, NOLA.com, "Nature center, shuttered since Katrina, reopens in New Orleans East," 6 Oct. 2017
Besides Pacific walrus, the Fish and Wildlife Service found that 24 other species did not warrant protections under the Endangered Species Act, including the Northern Rocky Mountains fisher and the boreal toad.

— Washington Post, "Federal government: No threatened species listing for walrus," 4 Oct. 2017
The floating psychic toad the size of a post office has seen me through countless battles and occupations.

— steven strom, Ars Technica, "Total War: Warhammer 2 Review: The weight of the New World," 3 Oct. 2017
Frogs and toads usually rely on sounds to find mates, and their ears are tuned to pick up the particular frequencies emitted by their own species.

— lakshmi supriya, Science | AAAS, "These tiny frogs can’t hear their own mating songs," 26 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'toad.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.