noun
Chad
chad
noun
1
Slang for a conventionally attractive, confident man, often used somewhat mockingly to describe a stereotypical alpha male.
"Online forums joke about "Chads" who seem to succeed effortlessly with women."
"He was mocked for trying too hard to act like a Chad."
2
A small piece of paper punched out of a ballot, punch card, or perforated stationery.
"Election officials argued over ballots with hanging chads."
"The printer left a trail of tiny chads on the floor."
How to Use Chad
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA slang label for a stereotypically attractive, self-assured man, or, unrelatedly, a punched-out scrap of paper (as from a ballot).
When to use it
The "attractive man" sense is internet slang and often used ironically or critically.
Common pairings
hanging chad
act like a Chad
Word Forms
Chads plural, chad plural, chads plural
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Online forums joke about "_____" who seem to succeed effortlessly with women.
Etymology
From the Old English name Ceadda; the "alpha male" slang sense emerged from a stereotype about men named Chad, spreading widely through internet slang in the late 2010s.