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
C. T. Walker2
: a small child
especially : boy
Phrases
a tad : somewhat, rather
looked a tad bigger than me Larry Hodgson
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
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
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 While denim overalls have had a recent resurgence around Hollywood, Garner's boilersuit is a tad dressier and can be styled so many different ways depending on the occasion or season. Alex Warner, Peoplemag, 10 Sep. 2022 The highest tide toward the end of this month will be at 10:36 a.m. Sept. 28, clocking in at 3.36 feet, a tad higher than last year. Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 9 Sep. 2022 But another year of merely iterative iPhone updates makes the balancing act just a tad harder. Jacob Carpenter, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2022 The offense has slowed a tad, but Utah State’s offense still can’t muster any offense. Nick Alvarez | Nalvarez@al.com, al, 3 Sep. 2022 The 10-year veteran who wasn’t part of an offseason program or training camp looked a tad rusty. Eric Branch, San Francisco Chronicle, 27 Aug. 2022 The DeWalt's crevice tool also struggled against large chunks, and emptying the vac was a tad trickier. Collin Morgan And Jon Langston, Car and Driver, 26 Aug. 2022 The 2019 season marked the fourth-highest attendance in franchise history, so to use it as the initial bar seems a tad unfair. Jr Radcliffe, Journal Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2022 Dream's character arc seems to be getting a tad bit lost here. Alex Raiman, EW.com, 5 Aug. 2022 See More
Alex Warner, Peoplemag, 10 Sep. 2022 The highest tide toward the end of this month will be at 10:36 a.m. Sept. 28, clocking in at 3.36 feet, a tad higher than last year. Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 9 Sep. 2022 But another year of merely iterative iPhone updates makes the balancing act just a tad harder. Jacob Carpenter, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2022 The offense has slowed a tad, but Utah State’s offense still can’t muster any offense. Nick Alvarez | Nalvarez@al.com, al, 3 Sep. 2022 The 10-year veteran who wasn’t part of an offseason program or training camp looked a tad rusty. Eric Branch, San Francisco Chronicle, 27 Aug. 2022 The DeWalt's crevice tool also struggled against large chunks, and emptying the vac was a tad trickier. Collin Morgan And Jon Langston, Car and Driver, 26 Aug. 2022 The 2019 season marked the fourth-highest attendance in franchise history, so to use it as the initial bar seems a tad unfair. Jr Radcliffe, Journal Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2022 Dream's character arc seems to be getting a tad bit lost here. Alex Raiman, EW.com, 5 Aug. 2022 See More 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
Phrases Containing tad
tad
noun
1
as in little
a very small amount there's more than just a tad of hyperbole in the critics' praise for the promising young pianist Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- little
- bit
- sprinkling
- splash
- glimmer
- hint
- shred
- touch
- speck
- lick
- smidgen
- smidge
- dab
- skosh
- spark
- mite
- trace
- handful
- smack
- particle
- smidgin
- smidgeon
- ounce
- ray
- dram
- streak
- sliver
- pinch
- spatter
- suspicion
- smell
- crumb
- scintilla
- soupçon
- peanuts
- minimum
- fleck
- shade
- nip
- bite
- dash
- ace
- strain
- scruple
- drop
- portion
- spot
- shadow
- drop in the bucket
- dose
- snap
- driblet
- grain
- whit
- part
- taste
- iota
- jot
- modicum
- molecule
- section
- dot
- tittle
- syllable
- mote
- vestige
- nibble
- semblance
- minim
- atom
- patch
- nubbin
- hoot
- fragment
- granule
- scrap
- flyspeck
- morsel
- smattering
- scattering
- flake
- smatter
- shiver
- splinter
- tatter
- paring
- clipping
- chip
- shard
- smithereens
- shaving
- shot
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- lot
- plenty
- quantity
- loads
- pile
- mess
- heaps
- mountain
- mass
- barrel
- bucket
- wad
- abundance
- stack
- deal
- bundle
- much
- bushel
- raft
- wealth
- profusion
- volume
- boatload
- peck
- oodles
- gobs
- scads
- passel
- excess
- fistful
- reams
- overkill
- lashings
- surplus
- overmuch
- potful
- overabundance
- overflow
- surfeit
- embarrassment
- lashins
- superabundance
- superfluity
- bonanza
- slab
- overage
- oversupply
- chunk
- lump
- hunk
2
as in boy
a male person who has not yet reached adulthood grandfather never tires of telling us about the days when he was just a tad Synonyms & Similar Words
- boy
- kid
- teenager
- lad
- callant
- adolescent
- laddie
- toddler
- nipper
- juvenile
- boychik
- boychick
- stripling
- sonny
- minor
- shaver
- boyo
- youth
- tween
- shaveling
- kiddo
- kiddy
- kiddie
- tike
- moppet
- youngster
- tot
- whippersnapper
- imp
- urchin
- tyke
- hobbledehoy
- guttersnipe
- youngling
- squirt
- gamin
- schoolboy
- mama's boy
