pad 1 of 3

noun

ˈpad How to pronounce pad (audio)
Definition of padnext
1
as in notebook
a number of sheets of writing paper glued together at one edge the waitress keeps a pad in the pocket of her apron to write down orders

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in bed
a place set aside for sleeping I went back to my pad to get some rest

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in buffer
something that serves as a protective barrier a pad on the chair to keep it from getting scratched

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in roof
the place where one lives welcome to my pad

Synonyms & Similar Words

pad

2 of 3

verb (1)

as in to exaggerate
to add to the interest of by including made-up details the journalist was fired for padding certain stories to make them more interesting

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

pad

3 of 3

verb (2)

as in to walk
to go on foot a cat padded silently by

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 pad
Noun
Depending on the findings from Monday’s orbital debut, the next Starship could return to the launch pad with giant mechanical arms grabbing the hovering spacecraft. — Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026 Flight controllers had a 75-minute launch window to get the spacecraft off the pad. — ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026
Verb
But just like in the series’ preceding season, The Ed Gein Story, this one deviates from its titular character to pad itself out. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026 Didier Fuentes pitched a 1-2-3 seventh and 1-2-3 eighth before Drake Baldwin lined a two-run home run out to right in the top of the ninth to pad the lead. — Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 16 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pad
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pad
  1. notebook
  2. bed
  3. buffer
  4. roof
  5. exaggerate
  6. walk
  7. tablet
  8. couch
Noun
  • Icy cold glasses of Tell the Truth, a light and lemony ale, sat before them on a high-top table beside a stenographer’s notebook and a laptop.
    — Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 2 Oct. 2026
  • On the third floor of a rundown building in a noisy Delhi market, Mohammad Faiz moves from one lecture to another, filling a notebook with neat rows of text over the course of six hours.
    — Aakash Hassan, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of notebook
Noun
  • Formerly a one-bedroom with ten-foot ceilings in an 1850s brownstone, it’s been opened up into an alcove studio that can fit a king-size bed.
    — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The main loft is located above the downstairs bedroom and contains another double bed.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of bed
Noun
  • Palillo proposes a 20-foot vegetative buffer between his project and homes, and a 12-foot sound barrier wall, according to his plans on file with the Huntersville Planning Board.
    — Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Charlie Fox, a 56-year-old San Clemente resident and marine meteorologist, said sand provides a critical buffer between whatever structures — train tracks, homes, lifeguard headquarters — are built along the coast.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of buffer
Noun
  • The Padres had a runner on first with one out in the ninth inning when France hit a towering fly ball that struck a railing on the roof before Chourio caught it in fair territory on the left-field warning track.
    — Steve Megargee, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Designed for ranch work and rugged driving, the Terra pickup features green paint, 37-inch tires on 18-inch wheels, heavy-duty side steps, a front bull bar, a roof basket with lights, and expanded cargo-bed storage.
    — Chase Jordan October 3, Charlotte Observer, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of roof
Verb
  • The South Korean military, which often accuses North Korea of exaggerating its military capabilities, did not immediately comment on Kim's claims.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026
  • In a letter to Congress, the former employees say this betrays that the infrastructure problems are being exaggerated.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of exaggerate
Verb
  • Everyone must be ready for anything, and as 100 becomes 50, the kitchen slowly empties and the competition intensifies until one cook eventually walks away victorious.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
  • As one walked the corridors of Armazém da Utopia ahead of polls opening, the feeling was still one of hope.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of walk
Noun
  • The $55 billion oral care market is already seeing lozenges, gums, sprays and tablets positioned for on-the-go use, including a prebiotic toothpaste personalized to the specific bacteria in a customer’s mouth, according to Fitt Insider.
    — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Equipped with a handy strap for crossbody wear, the viral hit can hold a 10-inch tablet, has zipper closure, and will appear dashing alongside your trench coat lineup.
    — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of tablet
Noun
  • The Kelces presumably will make enough money from the fall campaign to invest in a second TV, and if there’s not enough left over to pay for a bigger couch, there’s always Rent-A-Center.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 30 Sep. 2026
  • But even Cruise has learned the hard way that moviegoers have become pickier about what’s worth getting off the couch for.
    — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of couch

Browse Nearby Words

pacts
pad
padded
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pad. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of etiquette

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
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
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All