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

Specifically, Brooks calls out Charlie’s negative comments about his dad. — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 23 July 2026

In July 2024, Lowe spoke with PEOPLE and revealed that his son Samuel had recently made a confession that filled his dad with dread. — Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 22 July 2026

Does this explain why my dad told me we were cursed growing up? — Los Angeles Times, 22 July 2026

As Melanie neared the end of treatment, in June 2023, William—who is also dad to Leslie, 67, and Lisabeth, 65, with his late wife Gloria Rand—was diagnosed with stage 4 malignant melanoma that had spread to his lungs and brain. — Christina Perrier, InStyle, 22 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