# pad out

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/pad-out
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To add something extra to something to make it appear more substantial.

## Examples

- You need to pad out your essay to reach the required length.
- The writer had to pad out the short story with extra descriptions to fill the remaining pages of the book.
- Rather than focusing on quality, the speaker chose to pad out the presentation with irrelevant statistics to make the project seem more significant than it truly was.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.