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 Lohan stars as a book editor who’s in love with a dashing lad who is about to get married, but a wish made on an ancient stone sets in play a magical turn of events that change everything. Randy McMullen, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2024 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

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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