pad
Third Person
pads
Present Participle
padding
Past Tense
padded
Past Participle
padded
1
to add padding or cushioning to enhance comfort, protect, or modify the shape of something
transitive
- To protect the fragile items during shipping, they chose to pad the boxes with bubble wrap.
- The cyclist padded the bike seat with a gel cover for a more comfortable ride.
- The upholsterer decided to pad the dining chairs for a more comfortable seating experience.
- In the dance studio, it's common to pad the floor with foam mats to prevent injuries.
- To create a cozy atmosphere, the decorator suggested padding the headboard of the bed with fabric.
Synonyms:
2
to add extraneous content to artificially increase the length of material without adding significant substance
transitive
- The student padded his essay with irrelevant anecdotes to meet the word count requirement.
- The politician padded his speech to fill the allotted time.
- The journalist padded the article with filler sentences to meet the newspaper's column length.
- The contractor padded the project proposal with unnecessary features to inflate the budget.
- The filmmaker padded the movie to extend its running time.
3
to add extra material to something to increase its size, thickness, or volume
transitive
- She padded the envelope with extra sheets of paper to prevent the contents from bending.
- He padded the mattress with foam to make it more comfortable to sleep on.
- She padded the gift box with tissue paper to cushion the delicate contents during shipping.
- The runner padded his shoes with orthotic inserts to provide better arch support.
Synonyms:
4
to walk quietly, softly, or slowly, often with a gentle, muffled sound
- The cat padded silently across the room, its pawsteps barely audible.
- He padded down the hallway in his socks, careful not to wake anyone sleeping.
- The detective padded through the dark alley, keeping an eye out for any suspicious activity.
- The explorer padded through the dense jungle, listening for the calls of exotic birds.
- The thief padded stealthily through the mansion, searching for valuable treasures.
5
to cover or line parts of a boat with soft material to protect it or make it more comfortable
- They padded the canoe's seats to make long trips more comfortable.
- Before transporting the kayak, he padded the edges to prevent scratches.
- She carefully padded the sides of the boat to protect it from bumps against the dock.
- The rowing team padded the interior with foam to reduce noise and wear.
- He padded the storage area to keep their gear from shifting during rough waters.