cad

¹ American  

[kad] / kæd /

noun

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

• caddish adjective

Etymology

Origin of cad

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

Example Sentences

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025

Forty-five years after Paul Schrader immortalized Richard Gere as an “American Gigolo,” he’s cast him again as a rather run-of-the-mill American cad.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 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

He was a self-professed cad during his first marriage, ultimately leading him to Mitchell.

From New York Times • May 10, 2023

Notwithstanding that the devil, played by Cook, gives himself away at once by wearing red socks, the infallible mark of a cad, Dudley falls into conversation with him.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith