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 of dad

• father
• daddy

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

For example, when Jehosheba complains that her Martha slacks off when her dad is out of town, Daisy infers that the Commander made a visit to the Colonies. —Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 15 Apr. 2026

Her dad, Mohammed Ismail’s younger brother, Mohammed Amin, has managed the Glendale Heights location for about eight years, but even before that, her family lived close enough to help whenever needed. —Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026

His daughter Mercedes Kilmer reportedly gave her blessing for her dad’s likeness to be used in the movie. —Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 15 Apr. 2026

My dad was never pushy about this at all. —Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026

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