lad Meaning & Definition
What Does Lad Mean?
As a noun, lad means a male person of any age between early boyhood and maturity. It can also mean fellow, chap.
Word Facts for Lad
| Part of speech | noun |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈlad/ |
| Synonyms | fellow, cuss and gent |
| Plural | lads |
Lad Definition (Noun)
- a male person of any age between early boyhood and maturity : boy, youth
- fellow, chap
Synonyms of Lad
Lad synonyms and antonyms →Lad in a Sentence
I think he reckons he’s a bit of a lad.
Last night I was out drinking with the lads.
Come here, lad, and help me shift these boxes.
I think he reckons he's a bit of a lad.
Word Forms & Grammar
lad
lads
lad (plural lads)
Words That Rhyme With Lad
Origin of Lad
Origin 1: Middle English ladde
Origin 2: 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”).[1]
First Known Use
14th century
Quick Answers About Lad
What part of speech is lad?
Lad is a noun.
What is another word for lad?
You can replace lad with words such as fellow, cuss and gent. See the full list of lad synonyms and antonyms.
What is the plural of lad?
The plural of lad is lads.