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 could be my dad’s livelihood, my livelihood, going away because of false accusations. —Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 2026

There’s also the Sugar Shack, a kid’s version of the Alpine Cabin with a working wood stove, loft and tons of candy and sweets (and champagne for mom and dad). —Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 11 Mar. 2026

This SoCal band is a descendant of the Zombies, the Easybeats, the Byrds and every other psych-rock outfit your dad had on vinyl. —Ramon Ramirez, Austin American Statesman, 11 Mar. 2026

Cyrus’ dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, who played her father in Hannah Montana, also make an appearance. —Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 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