lad
noun
a boy or youth.
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lad
1 American
[lad]
/ læd /
noun
lads
plural
-
a boy or youth.
-
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
-
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
-
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.
Instead, the party's candidate, Kenyon, is focusing on hyper-local issues such as opposing new housing developments on green-belt land, pitching himself as a "normal" local lad.
From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026
"I think it's a shame that he left Manchester United - he's a Manchester lad," Rooney said.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
But his stepfather was an engraver, and the precocious lad saw books with plenty of pictures.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
Brendan Flynn, owner of The Kiln coffee shop in Stewartby, said the resort was a "dream come true" for a local lad, but was concerned big chains could move in and take over.
From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026
“Take care, lad, or you shall end up like me, stripped of any respectable rank and warming your shabby old hide at the fire of your enemies.”
From "Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins
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.
