lad

lad — noun

1. a young male who is not yet an adult — a boy or youth, often used in a friendly

1.nounB1
Definition

a young male who is not yet an adult — a boy or youth, often used in a friendly or ordinary way when talking about someone's age or appearance

Example

Jack is a bright young lad who loves fixing bicycles in his spare time.

collocation: young lad

A group of lads from the football club gathered at the park for training.

plural: lads for a group of boys or young men

Common collocations
  • young lad
  • little lad
  • local lad
  • old lad (informal address, regional UK)
  • good lad (praise)
  • the lads (plural referring to a group)
Synonyms
  • boy

    neutral, standard term; less informal than 'lad', covers the same age range

  • youth

    slightly more formal, often used in official or written contexts for teenagers or young men

  • guy

    informal but covers adults too; 'lad' specifically implies youth

  • youngster

    emphasises inexperience and young age; can apply to girls as well

Antonyms
  • girl

    the direct female counterpart for the same age range

  • old man

    contrasts the youthfulness implied by 'lad'

Grammar Patterns

lad (singular / plural lads)

you + lad (direct address)

Usage Note

In British English, 'lad' is the everyday informal word for a boy or teenage male; 'boy' sounds slightly more neutral or formal in comparison. The plural 'lads' can refer to a mixed-age group of male friends as well as young boys, though the separate social-group sense ('the lads' as a fixed phrase for a close male friendship circle) is best taught at higher levels.

Common Mistakes

The little boy helped his mother — he is a good lad.' (sounds odd describing one's own young child in the third person)
The little boy helped his mother
he is a good kid.' — 'Lad' is natural for a stranger's child or an older boy, but 'kid' or 'boy' is more typical for your own son in conversation.

Word family

  • laddish
    adjectiveC1
  • laddishness
    nounC2
  • laddie
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Lad' sits in the informal, friendly zone between 'boy' and 'guy'. 'Boy' is the neutral, all-purpose term for a male child or teenager — you can use it in any register. 'Youth' is more formal and often carries a hint of official or written language ('the youth was charged with theft'). 'Guy' is very informal but extends into adulthood ('he's a nice guy' works for a 40-year-old; 'he's a nice lad' would sound odd for a middle-aged man). 'Youngster' is affectionate and wide in scope (it includes girls), but it emphasises inexperience more than age. In a sentence: 'The lad mowing our lawn is only fourteen — he's a polite youngster.' Here, 'lad' establishes his age and informality, while 'youngster' reinforces his youthfulness, and neither 'youth' (too official) nor 'guy' (too adult) would fit naturally.

boy ↗youth ↗guy ↗youngster ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • lad + age (a lad of ten)
  • lad + place (a lad from the village)

Phrases

  • young lad
  • little lad
  • good lad
  • old lad (address)
  • the lads

Etymology

Middle EnglishOld EnglishEnglish

The word 'lad' comes from Middle English 'ladde', which meant a male servant or a young man of low rank. Its origins before that are uncertain, but it may be connected to Old English 'gehlæda' (a companion) or a Scandinavian root meaning 'to follow'. Over time, the sense of low rank faded, and by the 1500s the word was used simply for any boy or young man. The modern use keeps a friendly, informal tone.