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

looked a tad bigger than me

—Larry Hodgson

Synonyms

• ace
• bit
• crumb
• dab
• dram
• driblet
• glimmer
• hint
• lick
• little
• mite
• nip
• ounce
• particle
• peanuts
• ray
• scintilla
• scruple
• shade
• shadow
• shred
• skosh
• smack
• smell
• smidgen
• smidgeon
• smidgin
• smidge
• snap
• soupçon
• spark
• spatter
• speck
• splash
• spot
• sprinkling
• strain
• streak
• suspicion
• touch
• trace

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

Over on Today, Roker wore Beetlejuice's same iconic ensemble with just a tad less detail than Clarkson's look. —Sabienna Bowman, People.com, 31 Oct. 2024

But, because a handful of the least-attractive tickets were a bit overpriced, the cheapest ticket for Game 1 now is a tad cheaper. —Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2024

The episode was also up 5% in total viewers versus the week prior with 1.57M, which was just a tad below Fox’s 1.93M for Washington-Rutgers. —Katie Campione, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2024

However, my go-tos share similar characteristics: a little warm, a tad spicy, with just hint of brightness—maybe a floral or citrus composition. —Kiana Murden, Vogue, 17 Oct. 2024

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

Kids Definition

tad

noun

ˈtad 

1

: boy sense 1

2

: bit entry 2 sense 1