1
: a male person of any age between early boyhood and maturity : boy, youth
2

Examples of lad in a Sentence

Life was hard when I was a lad. Well, lad, I hope you won't make the same mistake again! He's a good lad at heart. They can't treat us like that, can they, lads?!
Recent Examples on the Web No less absurd is the notion of its having been the fiefdom of a lad. Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2024 Fashioned by a woodcarver (David Bradley) grieving over the loss of his child, the little wooden puppet (Gregory Mann) is a rambunctious, willful lad who refuses to be caged or silenced. Danny Horn, EW.com, 31 Jan. 2024 Four working-class Liverpool lads, jumping on their chance to break free from dreary old Europe, finally set loose in the America of their dreams. Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 9 Feb. 2024 This place was incredible, and got to enjoy it with some good lads. Emily Krauser, Peoplemag, 26 Sep. 2023 The strawberries-and-cream hues are a nod to a little lad’s favorite dessert. Anne Cruz, Bon Appétit, 11 Dec. 2023 In April, Prince George and Prince William went to a home game together and eagerly cheered on the team, where the dad and lad animatedly had the same expressions! Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 9 Nov. 2023 The anticipation of the crowd overcame some trepidation emanating from the band; the four lads seemed a bit uneven, almost by their own admission. Brad Auerbach, Spin, 6 Oct. 2023 Our first stop is Beckett’s early childhood in suburban Dublin, where the young lad’s love of poetry and lyrical thinking is nurtured by his kindly father William (Barry O’Connor) and challenged by his gorgon-like mother May (Lisa Dwyer Hogg). Guy Lodge, Variety, 1 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lad.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ladde

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lad was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near lad

Cite this Entry

“Lad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lad. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

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