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

With his plans for the summer nixed, Tony lifts a handful of cash from his dad’s wallet and impulsively follows Nancy to the former fishing port on the tip of Cape Cod. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 29 July 2026

As for his father, Sonnenfeld says his dad had several affairs that his wife was aware of. — Alexandra Schonfeld, PEOPLE, 29 July 2026

The prolific actor is brother of Julia Roberts and dad to Emma Roberts. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 29 July 2026

Miller said his dad used to sit in his firehouse, clipping newspaper stories on dark matter and black holes to send to his son. — Lisa Song, CNN Money, 28 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