What does "lad" mean?
A boy or young man.
Lad
/læd/ noun, slang
noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A boy or young man.
- Grammar: lad is listed as noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: chap, fellow, bastard, bird.
- Useful contrasts: adult, female, gentleman.
- Usage evidence: The lad leaned over and shouted into Tom's ear.
How to use "lad"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "lad" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "lad" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "lad" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "lad" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "lad" is acting as noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "chap" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "lad", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A boy or young man.
"How great is that danger, to which poor lads are now exposed, when placed on shipboard to learn the art of sailing! Five lads, training up for the seas, were now on board this ship; […]"
- 2 Abbreviation of left anterior descending artery. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, uncountable
- 3 a male child (a familiar term of address to a boy) wordnet
- 4 A hedonistic or irresponsible young man; A Jack the lad. British
"I think he reckons he’s a bit of a lad."
- 5 Initialism of local authority district. England, abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 a boy or man wordnet
- 7 A familiar term of address for a young man.
"Come here, lad, and help me shift these boxes."
- 8 Initialism of language acquisition device. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
- 9 A groom who works with horses.
- 10 Initialism of leukocyte adhesion deficiency. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
- 11 The penis. Ireland, colloquial
"— The lad stood to attention anyhow, he said with a sigh. She's a gamey mare and no mistake."
- 12 A scammer. Internet
"[...] regardless whether you feel the lads may deserve to be subjected to those types of images."
Example
"The lad leaned over and shouted into Tom's ear."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "lad"?
Common synonyms include: chap, fellow, bastard, bird, blighter, bloke.
How do you use "lad" in a sentence?
The lad leaned over and shouted into Tom's ear.
How do you pronounce "lad"?
Pronounced /læd/.
Etymology
From Middle English ladde (“foot soldier, servant; male commoner; boy”), from late Old English *ladda (attested in Old English personal byname Ladda), probably of North Germanic origin. Compare Old Norse ladd (“hose, woolen stocking; sock”), which may have undergone semantic shift to mean a term of abuse (e.g. foolish youth, youngster of lower social status, etc.); thence by connotative amelioration coming to mean any young fellow. Compare Norwegian ladd (“rough sock, woolen or felt slipper”) and the -ladd in compounds Askeladd/Askeladden (a nickname in fairy tales, "Ash Lad") and tusseladd (“nincompoop”). See also Swedish ladder (“old shoes”), lodde (“Frisian shoe”), lädder (“socks”), all said to be related to Old Norse loðinn (“hairy, shaggy, woolly”), loddi (“shaggy dog”).