toad
/təʊd
/noun
1A tailless amphibian with a short stout body and short legs, typically having dry warty skin that can exude poison.
- Several families in the order Anura, in particular Bufonidae, which includes the European common toad (Bufo bufo).
- Dutch police in Leeuwarden are trying to find out if drug addicts raided a pet shop and stole three exotic toads whose warty skin is said to induce hallucinations when licked.
- Some amphibians we know today include frogs, toads, newts and salamanders.
2A contemptible or detestable person (used as a general term of abuse): you’re an arrogant little toad...
- This snivelling little toad said with utter contempt in his voice, ‘Oh sure the French have culture.’
- Totally avoid toads like him, and look for a crush who respects girls in general - and you in particular!
- No, Joe, you sniveling toad whose pathetic job it is to lie for other liars.
Synonyms
wretch
informal beast, pig, swine, rat, creep, bastard, louse, snake, skunk, dog, weasel, lowlife, scumbag, heel, stinkpot, stinker, bad lot, no-good, son of a bitch, s.o.b., nasty piece of work
British informal scrote
Irish informal spalpeen
North American informal rat fink, fink, schmuck
Australian informal dingo
New Zealand informal kuri
West Indian informal rass
informal, dated rotter, hound, bounder, cad, blighter
vulgar slang shit, sod, prick
archaic blackguard, dastard, knave, varlet, whoreson
Derivatives
toadish
- Teenaged girls frequently run away when they discover the identity of the toadish middle-aged man they're supposed to lose their virginity to at 3 p.m. the next day.
- He'd opened and Rocky had stumbled in just two hours ago, yet he couldn't stand up to his boss, even if he was a toadish slob who had long since lost the will to live and did everything to make sure his employees were also miserable.
- The one night stand seems, despite his toadish ways after the event, to be a genuinely kind and intelligent individual, even as he's trying to weasel out of a relationship.
Origin
Old English tādde, tāda, abbreviation of tādige, of unknown origin.