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

Robert’s backstory — his life in Chicago, his mother’s tragic accidental death, his dad wanting to send him to military school, his aunt in Century City offering to take him in — sounds overly rehearsed. — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2026

His dad was a church worship leader and owned a recording studio at their family home. — Deasia Paige, AJC.com, 6 Aug. 2026

Ahead of the delivery, baby Aloni's first outfit was picked out, mom's bag was packed, and dad was fully equipped with the birthing plan and prepared for all scenarios. — La'tasha Givens, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026

Bret, who narrates the series with snooty affectation, is primarily parentless, with mom and dad gallivanting around Europe. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 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