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

My dad went through hard times. —Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 3 Nov. 2025

Forgiving him for being a dad his first time with me. —Jayson Buford, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2025

Many colleges and universities have informal parent Facebook groups, which function as a clearinghouse for questions and provide a window into the psyche of modern moms and dads. —Russell Shaw, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2025

Barker, meanwhile, is also a dad to son Landon, 22, daughter Alabama, 19, and stepdaughter Atiana De La Hoya, 26, with his ex-wife Shanna Moakler. —Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 2 Nov. 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