lad

[ lad ]

/ læd /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for lad on Thesaurus.com

noun

a boy or youth.

Informal. a familiar or affectionate term of address for a man; chap.

British Horseracing Informal. a stable boy.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of lad

1250–1300; Middle English ladde< ?; compare late Old English Ladda (nickname)

OTHER WORDS FROM lad

laddish, adjectiveladhood, noun

Words nearby lad

lacunule, Lacus Solis, lacustrine, LACW, lacy, lad, Ladakh, ladanum, ladder, ladder back, ladder company

Other definitions for lad (2 of 2)

LAD

abbreviation Psycholinguistics.

language acquisition device.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use lad in a sentence

We are meant to see Coach Lad as a gentle shepherd, full of lessons about humility and brotherhood.
Two New Films Preach Our Nation’s Corrosive Gridiron Gospel|Steve Almond|September 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He was a biggish lad, with a boyish, slightly mischievous grin, and thoughtfulness and consideration were seamed in his character.
The James Foley I Knew in the ISIS War Zone|Jamie Dettmer|August 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
To release this feminist anthem through what is essentially a lad mag that guys read at barbershops?
Jenny Lewis on 'The Voyager,' the End of Rilo Kiley, and High School Classmate Angelina Jolie|Marlow Stern|August 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Unlike his conservative colleagues Michele Bachmann, Ron Paul, and perhaps his lad Rand, Gingrey endorsed mandatory vaccination.
D.C. Moron Phil Gingrey Spread Ebola Fever Over Immigrants|Kent Sepkowitz|July 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST

She ties with a forward-thinking lad named John, who refuses to marry any woman against her will.
‘Free to Be…You and Me’ Did Not Emasculate Men|Emily Shire|March 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Egypt was once a land of mystery; now, every lad, on leaving Eton, yachts it to the pyramids.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
The soldiers killed a young lad who tried to pass, or wounded him so severely that it is said that he died.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
Again the unknown power smote the lad to the earth, which had become a raging sea.
A Lost Hero|Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward and Herbert D. Ward
Through a narrow door about three feet high the lad and his tutor entered their room.
Our Little Korean Cousin|H. Lee M. Pike
Even now, one volume lay on the window ledge, where the happy lad had risen to study it as soon as daylight came.
Dorothy at Skyrie|Evelyn Raymond

British Dictionary definitions for lad

lad

/ (læd) /

noun

a boy or young man

informal a familiar form of address for any male

a lively or dashing man or youth (esp in the phrase a bit of a lad)

a young man whose behaviour is characteristic of male adolescents, esp in being rowdy, macho, or immature

British a boy or man who looks after horses

Word Origin for lad

C13 ladde; perhaps of Scandinavian origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012