Lad Meaning

/læd/
C1

Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.

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nounA boy or young man.

nounA hedonistic or irresponsible young man; A Jack the lad.

The lad leaned over and shouted into Tom's ear.
He is hardly more than a lad.
Things have changed since I was a lad.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The young ____ helped his father carry heavy boxes from the truck into the storage room.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
He was a sturdy young ____ who was always eager to help his father with the work on the family farm.

Etymology tree Middle English ladde English lad 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”).

"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; […]" — 1776, John Woolman, chapter XI, in A Journal of the Life, Gospel Labours, and Christian Experiences of that Faithful Minister of Jesus Christ, John Woolman, […] , Dublin: Printed by R. Jackson, page 209:
"The lad, his son, had obtained a Jew's-harp, and learned to play upon it the profane airs of "Yankee Doodle," "Hail Columbia," "St. Patrick's Day," and "Auld Lang Syne."" — 1850, T. S. Arthur, “Deacon Smith and his Violin”, in Sketches of Life and Character, Philadelphia: J. W. Bradley, →OCLC, page 70:
"He's rather a lad, by the way—or used to be in his flying days." — 1929, Agatha Christie, The Seven Dials Mystery:
"— The lad stood to attention anyhow, he said with a sigh. She's a gamey mare and no mistake." — 1922, James Joyce, Ulysses, page 225:
"Mrs Glynn: Oh but there's this great bit in it. You see, there was this girl, but then you find out it's not a girl but a man! Mrs Sheridan: And he got his lad out." — 1995 May 5, Graham Linehan, Arthur Matthews, “The Passion of St Tibulus”, in Father Ted:

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CEFR Practice Quiz
The young ____ helped his father carry heavy boxes from the truck into the storage room.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
He was a sturdy young ____ who was always eager to help his father with the work on the family farm.

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