1
: a small or insignificant amount or degree : bit
might give him some water and a tad to eatC. T. Walker
2
: a small child
especially : boy
Phrases
a tad
: somewhat, rather
looked a tad bigger than meLarry Hodgson

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
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.
Each season, the NBA presses the 3-point button with a tad more enthusiasm. Fred Katz, The Athletic, 21 Feb. 2025 Early on in Burns’ career, he was getting called an Irish Catholic Woody Allen — which felt a tad unearned because the movies weren’t as funny. Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2025 Edge Computing Takes Off: While industry predictions of 75% of data being processed outside the data center by 2025 might be a tad aggressive, the growth trajectory is undeniable. Ed Fox, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025 And the emotional roller coaster was enough to leave him a tad queasy. Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 19 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tad

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of tad was circa 1877

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Cite this Entry

“Tad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tad. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

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