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

Yes, Thom is in the cult, or at the very least, Riders of the Afterlife–curious, a development that doesn’t track at all but does give him another opportunity to express that he’s broken and misses his dad. — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026

The storyline was inspired by Renna’s own experience meeting other dads at his own kids’ games. — Emily Longeretta, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026

The middle child of three, Oteri was raised in a working-class suburb of Philly by her mom after her dad left when Oteri was in first grade. — Eileen Finan, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026

Cyrus is one of many paying homage to the country legend, joining the likes of her dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Jane Fonda and Paul McCartney, among many more. — Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 26 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