toad
Americannoun
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any of various tailless amphibians that are close relatives of the frogs in the order Anura and that typically have dry, warty skin and are terrestrial or semiterrestrial in habit.
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Also called true toad. a toad of the widespread and chiefly terrestrial family Bufonidae, having relatively short hind legs used in hopping and often having at the shoulders swellings containing glands that, along with the skin, secrete an irritating fluid in defense.
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any of various toadlike animals, as certain lizards.
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a person or thing as an object of disgust or aversion.
noun
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any anuran amphibian of the class Bufonidae, such as Bufo bufo ( common toad ) of Europe. They are similar to frogs but are more terrestrial, having a drier warty skin
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any of various similar amphibians of different families
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a loathsome person
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of toad
before 1000; Middle English tode, Old English tāde, tādi ( g ) e
Explanation
A toad is an amphibian with dry, bumpy skin and no tail. A common myth says that toads will give you warts, but it's not true. Toads are actually a type of frog. They tend to be short and wide, and to have larger eyeballs than typical frogs. Toads also don't jump as high as other frogs, and they don't need to live near water. The typically bumpy skin of toads is what led them to be associated with warts, and this perceived homeliness has made toad a derogatory term: "You're nothing but a horrible old toad!"
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:
Aside from its dramatic claws, the insect's body shares similarities with modern Gelastocoridae, also called toad bugs, which are land-dwelling predators.
From Science Daily ● May 25, 2026
He also used symbols like the "pava", the traditional farmer's hat, and the endangered Puerto Rican crested toad.
From BBC ● Feb. 10, 2026
At another point, a giant monitor behind the action featured Concho, the singer’s crested toad mascot.
From Salon ● Feb. 9, 2026
Fish and Wildlife Service’s military conservation partner of the year for its efforts to support the recovery of several species, including the tidewater goby, coastal California gnatcatcher, the arroyo toad and southern California steelhead.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2025
The Stormville toad dropped its baton in the very last second, and the crowd gasped in unison.
From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega
Last week the government announced several projects it was funding to protect threatened species including a scheme aiming to increase the numbers of northern dune tiger beetles and natterjack toads in Cumbria.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
A Level 4 decision, such as how to save a population of rare toads, might involve using the Conservation Evidence database that Sutherland created showing what works to protect species and habitats.
From Slate ● Apr. 28, 2026
Together, these strains have already contributed to population crashes in at least 500 species of frogs and toads.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 19, 2026
Tadpoles become toads, and, in tales such as this one, metaphorical toads can be — whether through will, chance, or wishes — transformed into something else.
From Salon ● Sep. 30, 2025
I saw rabbits, beavers, toads, and all sorts of colorful birds.
From "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sánchez
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.
