lad
noun
a boy or youth.
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lad
1 American
[lad]
/ læd /
noun
-
lads
plural
-
a boy or youth.
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Informal. a familiar or affectionate term of address for a man; chap.
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British Horseracing Informal. a stable boy.
LAD
2
American
abbreviation
Psycholinguistics.
lad
British
/ læd /
noun
-
a boy or young man
-
informal a familiar form of address for any male
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a lively or dashing man or youth (esp in the phrase a bit of a lad )
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a young man whose behaviour is characteristic of male adolescents, esp in being rowdy, macho, or immature
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a boy or man who looks after horses
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of lad
1250–1300; Middle English ladde < ?; compare late Old English Ladda (nickname)
Explanation
Lad is another word for a boy or a young man. A man who's been hit with a water balloon might turn around to a group of giggling boys and ask, "All right, which of you lads did that?" You can use the casual lad instead of guy, fellow, or chap. This word is much more common in Britain than in the U.S., although everyone understands what it means. Someone in London might talk about going out on the town with "the lads," while in Boston people are more likely to say they're meeting "the guys." Lad, originally spelled ladde, first meant "foot soldier," or "young servant."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
First and foremost, he was a really good lad.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
Bishop said: "I went out for a motorbike ride with Tim Peake, who's a brilliant lad and a great cyclist. I learnt a lesson today. Astronauts are better motorcyclists than comedians."
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
In the video, uploaded to a Russian recruitment account, Townsend described himself as "a normal working-class lad from Yorkshire".
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
Others think Rashford is too good to be discarded; a local lad who would benefit from an arm around the shoulder and is capable of making a significant impact in Carrick's team.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
“This lad looks to be the right sort of age. He’s dressed—well, you’ll see how he’s dressed. And he found this. It could be him.”
From "The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman
According to Healthline, a widowmaker heart attack is caused by a 100% blockage of the LAD.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 4, 2023
By being in the environment, hearing the language and most important, understanding the language, somehow or other something kicks in in the brain called the LAD — the language acquisition device.
From Salon ● Jan. 11, 2023
Dr. McCormack later told me a heart attack that occurs when the LAD is completely or almost completely blocked is commonly known as the widowmaker.
From Fox News ● Aug. 23, 2021
He paid tribute to hospital staff who diagnosed a blocked LAD artery - the main artery running down the front of the heart.
From BBC ● Feb. 26, 2018
"DEAR LAD, "As I said to her most glorious majesty, I say to you now.
From Westward Ho!, or, the voyages and adventures of Sir Amyas Leigh, Knight, of Burrough, in the county of Devon, in the reign of her most glorious majesty Queen Elizabeth by Charles Kingsley
It was early July at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, and the lads were about to test themselves against Brazil for a spot in the quarterfinals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
She says the area should "be grateful" for lads like those at the boxing gym who'd chosen to "walk away" and not get involved in crime.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
First impressions can be a vital starting point, so again the manager has time to prepare and deliver their principles to the lads.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
Like all Welsh lads he harboured dreams of playing for his local club Cardiff Blues and hopefully the national team.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
At this point one of the remaining lads from the bus collapsed in a shivering heap and Mitraillette sort of stalled.
From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
