: 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
He's such a mean little toad.
that miserable toad is lucky to have even a single friend
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
The glamour toad of RuPaul's Drag Race is finally hopping all the way to the bank.—EW.com, 19 July 2025 New research suggests Sonoran Desert toads went into steep decline after stories of their mind-bending chemical properties began circulating among drug users.—Max Bearak, New York Times, 12 July 2025 Overall, the toads vary from light brown to orange-brown to yellow-brown but all have an upside-down triangle marking on their heads.—Aspen Pflughoeft
july 7, Miami Herald, 7 July 2025 The recent efforts bring the zoo’s total to almost 27,000 toads reintroduced to their native habitat since 2012.—Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 3 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for toad
Word History
Etymology
Middle English tode, from Old English tāde, tādige
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of toad was
before the 12th century
: 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
Share