father 1 of 2

noun

ˈfä-t͟hər How to pronounce father (audio)
Definition of fathernext
1
as in dad
a male human parent the special relationship that exists between fathers and sons

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in founder
a person who establishes a whole new field of endeavor Sir Isaac Newton is regarded by many as the father of modern science

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in grandfather
a person who is several generations earlier in an individual's line of descent our fathers founded this nation on the fundamental belief that no person is entitled to rule by divine right

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in Lord
capitalized the being worshipped as the creator and ruler of the universe let us ask humbly for the blessings of our Father in heaven

Synonyms & Similar Words

father

2 of 2

verb

as in to sire
to become the father of Paul Revere somehow found room in his small house for the large family he had fathered

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of father
Noun
Her father, Robert Lee Parton, could not read or write and often supplemented the family's meager income from their farm by working construction jobs. — Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 25 Aug. 2026 In the process, Ashley Duong uncovers painful memories that her father kept from her and his family until they were revealed in his 2024 memoir. — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2026
Verb
Before he was arrested and convicted in connection with the 1969 murders of Sharon Tate, Jay Sebring, Abigail Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, Steven Parent, and Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, Manson fathered four sons with four different women. — Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 28 July 2026 To address the dwindling number of eligible heirs, the revisions allow distant male relatives to be adopted into the imperial family to father future successors. — James Cirrone, FOXNews.com, 17 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for father
Recent Examples of Synonyms for father
  1. dad
  2. founder
  3. grandfather
  4. sire
  5. daddy
  6. creator
  7. ancestor
  8. spawn
Noun
  • Sawyer Strosnider stepped into the batter’s box for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers on Wednesday afternoon with his mom, Kandi, in the second row behind home plate, and his dad, Scott, a few hundred feet away in the right-field bleachers.
    — Devon Henderson, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The kitten's strengths include climbing up the back of the couch, crashing his dad's work calls and shadow chasing.
    — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of dad
Noun
  • With the logistics of its American business now anchored down, the founders are considering how the brand exists beyond the screen.
    — Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • According to Hon Weng Chong, Cortical Labs founder and CEO, some potential applications include drug discovery, humanoid robotics, cybersecurity and fraud detection.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of founder
Noun
  • Vance is set to speak at the Cleveland-Cliffs Middletown Works facility, which was known as Armco Steel when his grandfather James Vance worked there for nearly 40 years.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • As for Harris, her grandfather's brick now has a place of honor at home.
    — Madeleine Wright, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of grandfather
Verb
  • Somebody fell out of love — a complaint sired this inspection.
    — David J. Neal July 31, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026
  • Gun Runner’s stable still has the brass nameplate of its former occupant, legendary 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew, who also sired an impressive line of runners.
    — Graham Cornwell, New York Times, 19 June 2026
Definition of sire
Noun
  • So, here’s a step-by-step itinerary that would be perfect for a daddy-daughter day, family outing, date with your significant other, or just to treat yourself.
    — Justin Brown, AJC.com, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Michael Douglas has a daddy-daughter date with Carys Zeta Douglas at the Mallorca, Land of Honor Awards on August 3.
    — People Staff, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of daddy
Noun
  • For creators, attending a Grand Slam can signal something to their audiences beyond an interest in tennis; for brands, the appeal lies partly in associating themselves with that cachet.
    — Jessica Schiffer, Vogue, 25 Aug. 2026
  • He is next scheduled to helm Treasure Island from a script by Adolescence co-creator Jack Thorne, with Hugh Jackman starring in the feature based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s work.
    — Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of creator
Noun
  • Essay Get the Lead Out Alex Manley Our ancestors were born to die by predators.
    — Naomi Skwarna, hazlitt.net, 25 Aug. 2026
  • For the last decade, genealogical consultant Grant Din has helped Asian Americans find information about their ancestors, many of whom passed through San Francisco’s Angel Island Immigration Station in the 1900s.
    — Stephanie Lam, Mercury News, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of ancestor
Verb
  • South Florida’s turbulent weather since the weekend that killed a mother and her daughter, spawned an Everglades wildfire, and mixed heat with storms looks to remain unsettled — including for Friday’s Miami Dolphins home game.
    — Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Fly’s brand of rap, defined by spare, steely 808 beats and club shoutouts, was wildly popular, spawning nearly 50 mixtape volumes and many more songs since.
    — Stephen Deusner, SPIN, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of spawn

Phrases Containing father

Browse Nearby Words

fatheads
father
fathered
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Father.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/father. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on father

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about father

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of southpaw

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All