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

This, of course, is how the movie’s action begins, with Buddy leaving the North Pole to find his dad. —Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 23 Dec. 2025

His mechanics are really good, so credit to dad and mom and (Duke) coach (Jon) Scheyer and all the people that helped build up just his overall shooting technique. —Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 23 Dec. 2025

New to this role on the ice, Fleming hopes to model her coaching style after her own dad. —Marielle Mohs, CBS News, 23 Dec. 2025

Soon after, my dad was instrumental in building iconic Arrowhead Stadium, a football gem that was ahead of its time. —Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 22 Dec. 2025

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