lad

¹ American  

[lad] / læd /

noun

1. a boy or youth.

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

3. British Horseracing Informal. a stable boy.

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LAD ² American  

abbreviation

Psycholinguistics.

1. language acquisition device.

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lad British  

/ læd /

noun

1. a boy or young man

2. informal a familiar form of address for any male

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

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

5. a boy or man who looks after horses

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Other Word Forms

• laddish adjective
• ladhood noun

Etymology

Origin of lad

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

Example Sentences

Nathan: I'd like to think that they'd describe me as the same lad I was growing up.

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026

This is the story about a young lad from Leeds who evolved to set standards for hard work, professionalism and longevity - and earn respect from fans all over the world.

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026

The lad is only 10 years old, though, so he’ll have to wait: Nobody under 12 is allowed to fly.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026

He said you could always count on him in a game and you could always depend on him off the pitch as well, because he was an absolutely fantastic lad.

From BBC • Jan. 7, 2026

The Bishop of Bath and Wells said, “Now me lad, what’s your story, eh? And don't tell any porkies, remember as how you’re talkin’ to a bishop.”

From "The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman

Related Words

• fellow
• schoolboy
• youngster