Tad — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun /ˈtad/

Meaning & Definition of Tad

Tad (noun)

  1. a small or insignificant amount or degree, bit
  2. a small child; especially, boy

Tad (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a very small amount

    "there's more than just a tad of hyperbole in the critics' praise for the promising young pianist"

    similar: 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, snap, soupçon, spark, spatter, speck, splash, spot, sprinkling, strain, streak, suspicion, touch, trace, drop in the bucket
    related: hoot, iota, jot, minim, minimum, modicum, semblance, syllable, tittle, vestige, whit, atom, dot, fleck, flyspeck, grain, granule, molecule, morsel, mote, nubbin, patch, scrap, dash, drop, pinch, part, portion, section, bite, nibble, taste, handful, scattering, smatter, smattering, dose, shot, chip, flake, fragment, shard, shiver, sliver, smithereens, splinter, tatter, clipping, paring, shaving
    near: abundance, barrel, boatload, bucket, bundle, bushel, deal, fistful, gobs, heaps, lashings (chiefly British), loads, lot, mass, mess, mountain, much, oodles, passel, peck, pile, plenty, potful, profusion, quantity, raft, reams, scads, stack, wad, wealth, volume, bonanza, embarrassment, excess, overabundance, overage, overflow, overkill, overmuch, oversupply, superabundance, superfluity, surfeit, surplus, chunk, hunk, lump, slab

  2. a male person who has not yet reached adulthood

    "grandfather never tires of telling us about the days when he was just a tad"

    similar: boy, boychick, boyo (Irish), callant (chiefly Scottish), lad, laddie, nipper, shaveling, shaver, sonny, stripling, youth
    related: adolescent, juvenile, kid, kiddie, kiddo, minor, moppet, teenager, tween, youngling, youngster, gamin, guttersnipe, hobbledehoy, imp, squirt, urchin, whippersnapper, schoolboy, toddler, tot, tyke, mama's boy

Related Entry: A tad (phrase)

A tad is a different word from Tad. The synonyms below are for a tad, not for tad.

  1. to some degree or extent

    "This chili could use a tad more seasoning."

    similar: enough, fairly, kindly (chiefly Southern), kind of, like, moderately, more or less, pretty, quite, rather, relatively, something, somewhat, sort of, a bit, after a sort, a little, a mite, a touch, of sorts, to a degree
    related: acceptably, decently, passably, tolerably, little, negligibly, nominally, slightly, vaguely, half, halfway, incompletely, part, partially, partly, partway
    near: awfully, beastly, deadly, especially, exceedingly, exceptionally, extremely, frightfully, greatly, heavily, highly, hugely, mightily, mortally, particularly, surpassingly, terribly, very, considerably, extensively, significantly, substantially

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Tad

The most common words with a similar meaning to Tad:

Irish: boyo
Chiefly Scottish: callant
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, snap, soupçon, spark, spatter, speck, splash, spot, sprinkling, strain, streak, suspicion, touch, trace, boy, boychick

Related Words for Tad

hoot, iota, jot, minim, minimum, modicum, semblance, syllable, tittle, vestige, whit, atom, dot, fleck, flyspeck, grain, granule, molecule, morsel, mote, nubbin, patch, scrap, dash, drop, pinch, part, portion, section, bite

Near Antonyms of Tad

abundance, barrel, boatload, bucket, bundle, bushel, deal, fistful, gobs, heaps, lashings, loads, lot, mass, mess, mountain, much, oodles, passel, peck, pile, plenty, potful, profusion, quantity, raft, reams, scads, stack, wad

Phrases & Idioms with Tad

  • a tad — somewhat, rather

Origin & Etymology of Tad

probably from English dialect, toad, from Middle English tode toad

First known use: circa 1877

Frequently Asked Questions about Tad

What does "Tad" mean?

"Tad" means a small or insignificant amount or degree, bit. As a noun, it is defined as: a small or insignificant amount or degree, bit. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Tad"?

Other words for "Tad" include ace, bit, crumb, dab, dram, driblet, glimmer and hint. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Tad" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Tad"?

There are 124 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Tad". Common alternatives include ace, bit, crumb, dab, dram, driblet, glimmer, hint, lick and little.

How do you use "Tad" in a sentence?

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".

Is "Tad" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Tad" is a noun.

How do you pronounce "Tad"?

"Tad" is pronounced /ˈtad/.

What is the origin of the word "Tad"?

"Tad" comes from probably from English dialect, toad, from Middle English tode toad. First known use: circa 1877.

What is another word for "Tad" meaning "a very small amount"?

When "Tad" (noun) means a very small amount, synonyms include ace, bit, crumb, dab, dram and driblet.