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

In hopes of ensuring her dad could still attend the wedding, Courtney and Michael rescheduled the ceremony for May 10 in their hometown in Pennsylvania. —Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 24 May 2026

My dad passed away eight years ago at 66 years of age. —Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 May 2026

And Don’t Toss Records Too Quickly Along with all the possessions, many folks (including my dad) leave behind decades of tax and financial records, often squirreled away in the oddest spots. —Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026

For some men, like my dad back in the day, the garage is their sanctuary. —Marni Jameson, Arkansas Online, 22 May 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