toad
Americannoun
-
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.
-
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.
-
any of various toadlike animals, as certain lizards.
-
a person or thing as an object of disgust or aversion.
noun
-
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
-
any of various similar amphibians of different families
-
a loathsome person
Other Word Forms
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.
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
At another point, a giant monitor behind the action featured Concho, the singer’s crested toad mascot.
From Salon • Feb. 9, 2026
And then he doesn’t get the response he wants and runs out flailing, like a toad that finally got turned back into a man?
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 19, 2025
Beneath a floating canopy of lily pads in Cedar Lake, Canada, a swarm of western toad tadpoles glided gracefully through the water.
From BBC • Oct. 8, 2024
When we slammed into the giant toad, it was like crashing into a brick wall.
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
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.
