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

Scarlett White joined her dad, White Stripes rocker Jack White, on stage for a performance of two of the band’s songs. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 15 July 2026

Not your dad’s camping chairs, Jasper Morrison’s take on the utilitarian seating is distinctly Scandinavian. — Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 15 July 2026

But when asked to convey human-woman concerns, like a shitty dad, a shitty husband, and a shitty mother-in-law, that intense gaze can become inscrutable, even incomprehensible — a closed door to her interiority instead of a way in. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 15 July 2026

The show follows Chickie (Pompeo) and Doreen, two estranged half-sisters who are both struggling to get by when their wise guy dad unexpectedly kicks the bucket. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 15 July 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