Jump To:

• clad
  clad

  verb

  a simple past tense and past participle of clothe.
• clad-
  clad-

  variant of clado- before a vowel.

clad

¹ American  

[klad] / klæd /

verb

1. a simple past tense and past participle of clothe.

---

adjective

1. dressed.

   ill-clad vagrants.

2. covered.

   vine-clad cottages.

clad ² American  

[klad] / klæd /

verb (used with object)

clad, cladding

1. to bond a metal to (another metal), especially to provide with a protective coat.

---

clad- ³ American  

1. variant of clado- before a vowel.

---

clad ¹ British  

/ klæd /

verb

1. a past participle of clothe

---

clad ² British  

/ klæd /

verb

1. (tr) to bond a metal to (another metal), esp to form a protective coating

---

Etymology

Origin of clad¹

before 950; Middle English cladd ( e ), Old English clāthod ( e ) clothed. See clothe, -ed ²

Origin of clad²

First recorded in 1935–40; special use of clad ¹

Explanation

Clad means "dressed or covered." Most kids go to school clad in jeans and t-shirts, but students in the Shakespeare club might show up clad in velvet gowns or leather breeches. As a verb, clad is the past tense and past particle of “clothe,” as in “the leprechaun clad himself in green.” It’s also an adjective that describes being covered or clothed, so a building can be clad in brick, while a person can be clad in head-to-toe sequins. It’s an old-fashioned word, kind of like “shod,” which means “wearing footwear.”

Example Sentences

At a victory rally Sunday night, De la Espriella, his wife and their four children were all clad in the country's football jersey.

From Barron's • Jun. 1, 2026

All are clad from head to toe in hazard suits with facemasks and goggles, to guard against a disease spread through close physical contact and bodily fluids.

From Barron's • May 24, 2026

Harris introduces us to the girls in a sepia flashback, their small bodies clad in matching dresses, one head resting on the other’s shoulder.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026

Rubio entered the Vatican through the Arch of the Bells, a privilege reserved for senior dignitaries, flanked by the colorfully clad Swiss Guards, who have been providing security to popes since 1506.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

There was one, clad in orange and black with matching butterfly wings.

From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull