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

In an era facing both a reborn nuclear threat and global climate catastrophe, the granddaddy of movie monsters still has a lot to tell humanity. —Asher Elbein, Scientific American, 3 Nov. 2023

California Patt Morrison: Will L.A. ever produce more gimmicky, lovable pitchmen like Cal Worthington? Aug. 30, 2023 In 1947, L.A. County created the Air Pollution Control District, granddaddy to today’s South Coast Air Quality Management District, to hunt down the guilty parties. —Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2023

Well, there’s been a lot of challenges, and certainly the pandemic was the granddaddy of all challenges. —Bypaige Hagy, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2023

The idea of a much smaller venue to complement the granddaddy of country music had been kicking around since 2017 as a joint partnership with Live Nation Entertainment, the world’s largest promoter, operator and ticket manager of live acts. —Cheryl Hall, Dallas News, 21 July 2023

But the granddaddy of farm resorts was not a bad role model. —Ann Abel, Robb Report, 22 June 2023

This came to a head in the Panic of 1907, the granddaddy of panics, when the banking system collapsed. —Maureen O’Hara, Fortune, 23 Mar. 2023

Iconic eats: Prince's Hot Chicken The granddaddy of them all, Prince's Hot Chicken, credited with inventing hot chicken in the 1950s, reigns supreme. —Gabi De La Rosa, Chron, 18 Mar. 2023

This granddaddy of a boom town has been in the top 20 since 2015. —Sharon Grigsby, Dallas News, 26 May 2023

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Word History

First Known Use

1648, in the meaning defined at sense 1