dad

noun

ˈdad 

plural dads

informal

: a male parent : father entry 1 sense 1

My mom swam and played soccer, my dad surfed, and my brother played basketball.

—Shannon Griggs

Don't get me wrong, I'm a good dad who maintains a cheerful household and greets parenthood with a smile and an open heart.

—Ron Harris

—often used as a name

When is Dad getting home?

Dad, can you give me a ride?

Synonyms

• daddy
• father
• old man
• pa
• papa
• poppa
• pater [chiefly British]
• pop
• sire

Examples of dad in a Sentence

Her mom and dad both said she can't go.

my dad did most of the cooking for dinner because he usually got home earlier than my mom

Recent Examples on the Web

Her dad is there to give her closure, and to find out more about her background. —Selome Hailu, Variety, 27 Mar. 2025

Robert Hall Clothes, Inc. Myricks recalls that when her dad was getting ready to retire, the clothing retailer shut down. —Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 26 Mar. 2025

Kayden showed her big brother support by joining her dad at the games, cheering Jayson on while soaking in the postseason excitement. —Nasha Smith, People.com, 26 Mar. 2025

The two-time Emmy winner also discusses running restaurants in Utah and returning to the set for a project with an infamous ‘Breaking Bad’ dad. —Demarco Williams, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

probably baby talk

First Known Use

1533, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing dad

• dad bod
• dad joke
• deadbeat dad

Rhymes for dad

• ad
• add
• bad
• brad
• cad
• clad
• fad
• gad
• glad
• grad
• had
• lad

Kids Definition

dad

noun

ˈdad 

informal

: father entry 1 sense 1a