Question 1

What does "pad out" mean?

Accepted Answer

To make a piece of writing, speech, or presentation longer by adding unnecessary or unimportant material.

Question 2

How do you use "pad out" in a sentence?

Accepted Answer

He padded out his essay with irrelevant quotes just to reach the word count.

Question 3

Is "pad out" formal or informal?

Accepted Answer

"pad out" is informal — used mainly in casual conversation. Often used critically, suggesting the added content is filler. Common in academic, journalism, and screenwriting contexts. Can also literally mean adding padding material to a physical object.

pad out

Expressions associées

Plus avec "out"