lads

noun

plural of lad
1
as in boys
a male person who has not yet reached adulthood fond of telling tall tales of the days when he was just a lad

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in guys
an adult male human being pass me another beer—will you, lad?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lads Or is a ‘good’ World Cup actually one in which none of your lads featured, or their country got knocked out early, and are therefore going to be fresh heading into the 10 gruelling months ahead? — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 24 July 2026 This intensive five-day retreat welcomes only America’s dudes, bros, lads, sons and fathers. — Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 21 June 2026 Aussie Rules lads are almost clothed enough to enter a convenience store. — Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026 The unanimous rave reviews convinced him this wasn’t just about his head being turned by four pretty lads, one in particular. — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 18 June 2026 This place was incredible, and got to enjoy it with some good lads. — Emily Krauser, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026 The year was 1994, and a handful of Irish lads were gathered at a hotel in Northern Ireland to celebrate Colin Cather’s pending nuptials. — Abby Ellin, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2026 McMurtry Automotive Ten years since the company formed, the mad lads at McMurtry Automotive are bringing the record-setting Spéirling Pure hypercar to life. — New Atlas, 25 Feb. 2026 The search for lads to play the young teen began a few months ago. — Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 11 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lads
  1. boys
  2. guys
  3. kids
  4. males
  5. teenagers
  6. gentlemen
  7. dudes
Noun
  • Lastly, to dull the war-mongering vigor of the Rivermen, Ormund installs small, scared little boys, ripped from their homes, all along the chemin de ronde — a baby human shield for Ser Daeron the Daring’s great army.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
  • At a May 11 school board meeting, Matthews appeared with his daughter and urged officials to keep boys and girls in separate bathrooms.
    — Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of boys
Noun
  • Was there anything that wasn’t in this restaurant before that you guys threw in specifically for this episode that didn’t exist before or after in the restaurant?
    — Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Not even the guys who left screaming, and some left screaming.
    — Jeff Rabhan, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of guys
Noun
  • Families can also participate in daily arts and crafts sessions, with materials provided on request and staff on hand to help kids create their own souvenirs.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Aug. 2026
  • That means cables, socks, Legos, kids' pajamas, and everything else not taller than the unit itself are up for grabs, Pac-Man style.
    — Joe Salas August 14, New Atlas, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of kids
Noun
  • Though males are wingless and females can fly short distances, that reproductive efficiency — combined with its tiny size and penchant for hiding in wood — has supercharged a rapid spread across South Africa.
    — Jack Bantock, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
  • OutKick has extensively covered the debate surrounding males competing in women's sports.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of males
Noun
  • Now there are four campuses with 10,000 to 12,000 annual students ranging from teenagers through retirees, as well as a staff eager to position the college as a true community hub.
    — Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Other than Bafode Diakite, teenagers Veljko Milosavljevic and Matai Akinmboni, both 19, are the backup centre-backs, while Julio Soler, 21, is Truffert’s understudy.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of teenagers
Noun
  • That, ladies and gentlemen, is why the stock of Amazon surged Friday and took its hyperscaler peers along for the ride.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 2 Aug. 2026
  • There’s a resident big band that sets the tempo for dancing—there are even gentlemen hosts available for ladies—and a DJ rocks the small disco late into the night.
    — Fran Golden, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2026
Definition of gentlemen
Noun
  • In 72 Hours, Hart plays fortysomething advertising executive Joe, who accidentally gets added to a group chat for a bunch of younger dudes' bachelor party weekend.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 31 July 2026
  • There’s hippie dudes and Patagonia dudes but also corporate lawyer dudes looking for a night off.
    — Claire Howorth, Vanity Fair, 29 July 2026
Definition of dudes

Browse Nearby Words

ladling
lads
lady
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lads.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lads. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on lads

Nglish: Translation of lads for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All