noun

pad

noun

A block of soft or absorbent material used for cushioning, cleaning, or protection.

"She pressed a cotton pad soaked in cleanser to her face."

"Wear knee pads before you try that skateboard trick."

A stack of sheets of paper joined at one edge for writing or drawing.

"He jotted the number down on a notepad."

verb

To walk with soft, quiet steps.

"The cat padded silently across the kitchen floor."

To add unnecessary or dishonest extra material to make something seem bigger than it is.

"The contractor was accused of padding the invoice with fake charges."

"Don't pad your essay with filler sentences."

How to Use Pad

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA soft cushioning object or a notepad; as a verb, to move quietly or to artificially inflate something.

Common mistake

"Pad an expense report" means dishonestly inflate it, not physically cushion it — the figurative sense is very common in business English.

Common pairings

launch pad notepad pad an expense report pad softly

padded past tense, padded past tense, pads plural, pads plural, pads plural, pads plural, pads singular, pads singular

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She pressed a cotton _____ soaked in cleanser to her face.

iPad keypad notepad helipad