granddaddy

noun

grand·​dad·​dy ˈgran-ˌda-dē 

variants or less commonly grandaddy

1

: grandfather sense 1a

2

: one that is the first, earliest, or most venerable of its kind

Synonyms

• ancestor
• antecedent
• archetype
• daddy
• foregoer
• forerunner
• precursor
• predecessor
• prototype

Examples of granddaddy in a Sentence

the granddaddy of all English mystery novels

Recent Examples on the Web

Now, there is (to our knowledge) no official record — there is certainly no official method for timing applause — but it’s roundly considered that Guillermo del Toro’s 2006 fantasy drama Pan’s Labyrinth is the granddaddy of them all at 22 minutes. —Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 13 May 2025

The granddaddy of all medical dramas ran from 1994 to 2009, for 15 old-school, network-length seasons on NBC. —Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2025

Well, the granddaddy of them all was former President Gerald Ford's pardon of former President Richard Nixon in 1974 for allegations or accusations associated with the Watergate scandal. —Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 6 Jan. 2025

The Greatest @Home Videos, of course, is an offshoot from the granddaddy of the clips genre, America’s Funniest Home Videos, which has been a staple on ABC for the last 25 years. —Marc Berman, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1648, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for granddaddy

• addy
• caddie
• caddy
• daddy
• gaddi
• laddie
• paddy