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• cad
  cad

  noun

  an ill-bred man, especially one who behaves in a dishonorable or irresponsible way toward women.
• CAD
  CAD

  noun

  computer-aided design.

cad

¹ American  

[kad] / kæd /

noun

• cads
  plural

1. an ill-bred man, especially one who behaves in a dishonorable or irresponsible way toward women.

   Synonyms:

   heel, rogue, rascal, rotter, bounder

2. British Archaic.

   1. a local town boy or youth, as contrasted with a university or public school student.

   2. a servant at a university or public school.

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CAD ² American  

[kad] / kæd /

noun

1. computer-aided design.

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CAD ¹ British  

acronym

1. computer-aided design

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cad ² British  

/ kæd /

noun

1. informal a man who does not behave in a gentlemanly manner towards others

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• caddish
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• cads
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cad

First recorded in 1780–90; short for caddie (in the sense “a person who runs errands and does odd jobs”)

Explanation

A cad is a man who is not gentlemanly or honorable, especially toward a woman. He asked the waitress for her phone number and left you with the check? That cad! Also known as a rake, a scoundrel, a rascal, or a heel, a cad is not a guy you want to be around too long. The word cad came from the word cadet, meaning a "servant." Later cad came to be a derogatory term used by students at British universities, referring to boys from local towns. Don’t confuse the word cad with the acronym CAD, meaning "computer-aided design."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cad CAD cads

Andrew, who is 12 years younger than Charles, was long considered the family’s amiable cad.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2025

Dabney Coleman, the beloved character actor who famously played the dastardly cad overseeing Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton in “9 to 5,” has died.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 17, 2024

The underdog here is Mark Ruffalo, whose comic turn as the cad Duncan Wedderburn in "Poor Things."

From Salon ● Mar. 7, 2024

In the past, words or phrases deemed to have stepped over the line include "impertinent dog", "cad", "blethering", "guttersnipe" and "git".

From BBC ● Dec. 29, 2023

“You carried off one of my stockings last night, and you are a thieving cad, and I hope Mrs. Dudley can hear me.”

From "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson

By month’s end, CAD Management estimates Bublé will be 9% ahead of Carey in terms of streams.

From MarketWatch ● Dec. 24, 2025

Earlier research had reported that certain species within the family Lachnospiraceae decrease in people with CAD.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 12, 2025

He appealed for anyone with video footage from the area to get in touch with the police on 101 quoting CAD 4647/24Aug.

From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2025

Anyone with information was urged to call the Met on 101, giving reference CAD 3431/25March.

From BBC ● Mar. 25, 2025

"You unspeakable CAD," she said, and choked, stamped her little foot, and stood panting.

From The Wheels of Chance: a Bicycling Idyll by H. G. (Herbert George) Wells

You excel at playing cads — Withnail, Jack Hock and now J.M.

From Salon ● Jul. 6, 2023

There may be nothing princely about Bitton’s portrayal, but he’s so much more lovable than the posh cads of swankier Benedicks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 13, 2023

The character was probably based on acting colleague - and fellow portrayer of cads - Terry-Thomas.

From BBC ● Nov. 8, 2022

He refused to play cowards or cads and took on characters, especially in “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” of almost divine goodness.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 7, 2022

They're all very well for scholarship boys and such cads.

From That Scholarship Boy by Emma Leslie