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# tad

noun (a tad)

«tad» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (informal) A small amount; a little: «a tad of milk». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tad/#m1)
2. (informal) «a tad» + adjective or adverb means «slightly, a little»: «a tad cold». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tad/#m2)
3. (old, US) A small child, especially a boy. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tad/#m3)

### In the lessons

In everyday talk and lessons on downplaying, «a tad» softens what you say so it sounds polite or modest: «It's a tad expensive» may mean it is very expensive. Related: «a smidge», «a touch», «a bit», «slightly».

### Examples

- The soup is a tad salty. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tad/#x1)
- Could you turn the music down a tad? [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tad/#x2)
- I'm a tad nervous about the test. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tad/#x3)
- «A tad late» said the teacher, when we were twenty minutes late. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tad/#x4)
- Pass me a tad more sugar, please. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tad/#x5)
- The jacket is a tad big, but you'll grow into it. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tad/#x6)

### Note

Informal; almost always «a tad». It is not an exact amount — in maths problems it gives no number. Often used for understatement (making something sound smaller than it is). Not the same as «tadpole».

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «tad» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tad/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«tad» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/tad.html) on Mova free.