Illustration of toad
- toad 1
1
: any of numerous anuran amphibians (especially family Bufonidae) that are distinguished from the related frogs by being more terrestrial in habit though returning to water to lay their eggs, by having a build that is squatter and shorter with weaker and shorter hind limbs, and by having skin that is rough, dry, and warty rather than smooth and moist
2
: a contemptible person or thing
Synonyms
- bastard
- beast
- bleeder [British]
- blighter [chiefly British]
- boor
- bounder
- bugger
- buzzard
- cad
- chuff
- churl
- clown
- creep
- cretin
- crud [slang]
- crumb [slang]
- cur
- dirtbag [slang]
- dog
- fink
- heel
- hound
- jerk
- joker
- louse
- lout
- pill
- rat
- rat fink
- reptile
- rotter
- schmuck [slang]
- scum
- scumbag [slang]
- scuzzball [slang]
- skunk
- sleaze
- sleazebag [slang]
- sleazeball [slang]
- slime
- slimeball [slang]
- slob
- snake
- so-and-so
- sod [chiefly British]
- stinkard
- stinker
- swine
- varmint
- vermin
Examples of toad in a Sentence
He's such a mean little toad.
that miserable toad is lucky to have even a single friend
Recent Examples on the Web
With a generalist diet, Nile monitors will eat anything from turtle eggs to spiders to toads.
—
Hannah Farrow, Orlando Sentinel, 24 June 2024
The Colorado River toad (Incilius alvarius), also known as the Sonoran Desert toad, secretes a psychedelic compound that likes to bind to a different serotonin receptor subtype called 5-HT1A. And that difference may be the key to developing an entirely distinct class of antidepressants.
—Diana Gitig, Ars Technica, 10 May 2024
When threatened or startled, the Colorado River toad (also called the Sonoran desert toad) exudes 5-MeO-DMT, a hallucinogenic compound that discourages predators, from glands in its skin.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 May 2024
Uncovering novel biology Like other psychedelics, the one the toad produces decreases depression and anxiety and induces meaningful and spiritually significant experiences.
—Diana Gitig, Ars Technica, 10 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for toad 
Hannah Farrow, Orlando Sentinel, 24 June 2024
The Colorado River toad (Incilius alvarius), also known as the Sonoran Desert toad, secretes a psychedelic compound that likes to bind to a different serotonin receptor subtype called 5-HT1A. And that difference may be the key to developing an entirely distinct class of antidepressants.
—Diana Gitig, Ars Technica, 10 May 2024
When threatened or startled, the Colorado River toad (also called the Sonoran desert toad) exudes 5-MeO-DMT, a hallucinogenic compound that discourages predators, from glands in its skin.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 May 2024
Uncovering novel biology Like other psychedelics, the one the toad produces decreases depression and anxiety and induces meaningful and spiritually significant experiences.
—Diana Gitig, Ars Technica, 10 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for toad
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'toad.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to toad
Dictionary Entries Near toad
Cite this Entry
“Toad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toad. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
toad
noun
: any of numerous tailless leaping amphibians that lay their eggs in water and are distinguished from the related frogs by living on land more often, by having a build that is shorter and thicker with weaker and shorter hind limbs, and by having skin that is rough, dry and warty rather than smooth and moist
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share