toad

/təʊd/ (bre, ipa) · /təʊd/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈtōd/ (ame, mw)

toad — noun

  • toadsingular
  • toadsplural

1. a small hopping animal with rough, dry, often bumpy skin; it is the close cousin

1.名詞B1
釋義

a small hopping animal with rough, dry, often bumpy skin; it is the close cousin of the frog but spends most of its life on land near ponds and streams.

例句

Haruto found a brown toad sitting under a wet leaf in the garden.

concrete noun in object position

Every spring, hundreds of toads cross the village road on their way to the pond.

plural toads + habitat collocation: cross the road, to the pond

同義詞
  • frog

    very close relative; frogs have smoother, wetter skin and longer legs for jumping

  • amphibian

    the wider scientific group that includes toads, frogs, and salamanders

用法筆記

Subject is usually a real animal in a natural setting; use 'frog' instead when the skin is smooth and the animal lives mostly in water.

常見錯誤

❌A toad is a kind of fish.
✅A toad is a kind of amphibian, like a frog.
💡toads breathe air and live mostly on land, not in water.
❌I saw a toad swimming in the sea.
✅I saw a toad sitting near the pond.
💡toads live near fresh water, not in the sea.

2. an old-fashioned insulting word for a man you really dislike, usually because he

2.名詞C1
釋義

an old-fashioned insulting word for a man you really dislike, usually because he behaves badly and looks unattractive.

例句

Amelia called her landlord a horrible toad after he raised the rent again without warning.

insult collocation: call someone a toad

Faisal grumbled that the new manager was a pompous toad who bullied the staff.

informal insult: pompous toad + bully the staff

同義詞
  • creep

    more modern, common informal insult for a dislikeable man

  • jerk

    everyday informal insult; focuses on rude behaviour rather than appearance

  • scoundrel

    old-fashioned; suggests dishonest or cheating behaviour

反義詞
  • gentleman

    polite, kind man — direct positive contrast

用法筆記

Almost always used about a man, and almost always in informal speech or older fiction; modern conversation prefers 'creep' or 'jerk'. Often comes with a strong adjective like 'horrible', 'fat', or 'nasty'.

常見錯誤

❌My boss is a toad because she missed the meeting.
✅My boss is a creep because she missed the meeting.
💡'toad' as an insult is almost always used for men, not women.
❌He is a toad at maths.
✅He is bad at maths.
💡'toad' does not mean 'bad at something'; it only means an unpleasant person.