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

Uh, this is a photo of me holding a photo of my mom and dad. —Outside Online, 21 Jan. 2026

The proud dad never misses the opportunity to spend some quality time with his children. —Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026

There's also an independent bookshop, a couple of art galleries and a population of dedicated surfers and aging hippies (including my dad). —Kate Bartlett, NPR, 21 Jan. 2026

Cruz initially defended the Cancun trip as an effort to be a good dad to his two daughters. —Joseph Morton, Dallas Morning News, 21 Jan. 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