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# lad

«lad» in Mova's school dictionary: **a boy or young man** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (a lad, lads)

### meaning for a pupil

1) (informal, UK, Ireland, Australia, NZ) A lad is a boy or young man. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lad/#m1)

2) (informal) "The lads" are a group of male friends. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lad/#m2)

3) (informal) "Lad" is a friendly way of talking to a boy: "Well done, lad!" [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lad/#m3)

4) (slang, UK) A "lad" or "laddish" person is a loud young man who acts tough or rough. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lad/#m4)

### sense in the lessons

Common in everyday British, Irish and Northern English talk and in stories to show a friendly, warm or local voice. Phrases: a young lad, the lads, our lad (northern England: my son or brother), stable lad (worker with horses).

### examples

- He's a good lad who helps his gran. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lad/#x1)
- Come on, lads, let's play footy! [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lad/#x2)
- When I was a lad, we walked to school. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lad/#x3)
- "Well played, lad," said the coach. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lad/#x4)
- A young lad found the lost puppy. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lad/#x5)
- The lads went fishing on Saturday. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lad/#x6)
- Our lad is starting high school next week. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lad/#x7)
- Three lads and two lasses joined the club. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lad/#x8)
- "Father," answered the lad, "hear me! [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lad/#x9)

### note

Informal; formal is "boy" or "young man". Female word: lass. Plural: lads. In US English "lad" sounds old-fashioned or British.

### In the corpora

- [In Scotland "wee" means small, so "wee man" is a fond way to say "little lad".](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/48-spoken-language-presenting-and-show-and-tell/18/)
- [At tea Grandad says: «Being frightened means you're a coward, lad.» Dad puts his fork down.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/366-sam-is-scared-fear-is-normal/7/)
- [Grandad said «just hit him back, lad, that's what I did in '72».](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/391-just-hit-him-back-or-tell-a-teacher/1/)
- [Two lads in Leeds argued about who scored the winning goal in the playground.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/451-the-check-that-settles-it/10/)
- [Jake joins boxing «to get hard, innit», expecting the big lads to batter him.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/467-friends-through-games-and-clubs/15/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «lad» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lad/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.