granddaddy

noun

grand·​dad·​dy ˈgran-ˌda-dē How to pronounce granddaddy (audio)
variants or less commonly grandaddy
1
2
: one that is the first, earliest, or most venerable of its kind

Examples of granddaddy in a Sentence

the granddaddy of all English mystery novels
Recent Examples on the Web This is a conference that became synonymous with the granddaddy of all postseason games, the Rose Bowl. Paul Newberry, USA TODAY, 5 Jan. 2024 Copper Queen Mine Tour The granddaddy of Bisbee tours remains the Copper Queen Mine Tour. Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 11 Jan. 2024 Light festivals and enchanted gardens Neighborhood light displays aren’t the only way to ring in the holidays in SoCal. Mission Inn Festival of Lights — the granddaddy of SoCal’s holiday light shows — in Riverside drapes a full city block with lights and moving figures. Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2023 DuckDuckGo via David Nield The granddaddy of Google alternatives, DuckDuckGo has made private search its raison d'être for more than 15 years. Boone Ashworth, WIRED, 26 Nov. 2023 In an era facing both a reborn nuclear threat and global climate catastrophe, the granddaddy of movie monsters still has a lot to tell humanity. Asher Elbein, Scientific American, 3 Nov. 2023 California Patt Morrison: Will L.A. ever produce more gimmicky, lovable pitchmen like Cal Worthington? Aug. 30, 2023 In 1947, L.A. County created the Air Pollution Control District, granddaddy to today’s South Coast Air Quality Management District, to hunt down the guilty parties. Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2023 Well, there’s been a lot of challenges, and certainly the pandemic was the granddaddy of all challenges. Bypaige Hagy, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2023 The idea of a much smaller venue to complement the granddaddy of country music had been kicking around since 2017 as a joint partnership with Live Nation Entertainment, the world’s largest promoter, operator and ticket manager of live acts. Cheryl Hall, Dallas News, 21 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'granddaddy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1648, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of granddaddy was in 1648

Dictionary Entries Near granddaddy

Cite this Entry

“Granddaddy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/granddaddy. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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!