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

His dad, Glen, played at Andrew and brought his 42-year-old Thunderbolts jersey to the game. —Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2026

Both relationships are strikingly different; my dad represents the struggle for life, and my mom is all calmness. —Ernesto Lechner, Rolling Stone, 9 May 2026

My husband, who has always been a stay-at-home dad, is now on Social Security and is home with me. —Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 9 May 2026

Omaha's dad, David Lamm, says he was inspired by a documentary to rescue a Golden Retriever mix. —Rina Nakano, CBS News, 9 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