dad

noun

ˈdad How to pronounce dad (audio)
Definition of dadnext
as in father
a male human parent my dad did most of the cooking for dinner because he usually got home earlier than my mom

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dad Grandpa brings Francis some flowers and an IOU; her dad gives her a first edition of Slow Days, Fast Company, which is a legit cool gift for a teenage girl. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2026 The protagonist, Michael, whose Chinese identity has been eroded by successive generations, is desperately curious about Kun’s dad. — Marta Balaga, Variety, 5 Nov. 2026 The heartbroken dad wasn’t home when the child fell out the window. — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 5 Nov. 2026 The teen paired the vivid knee-length tresses with ultra-bleached white eyebrows and icy blue contacts, mirroring her dad’s blue contacts at the 2016 Met Gala. — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 5 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dad
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dad
  1. father
  2. daddy
Noun
  • His daughter, Tia, a second grade teacher, shed tears while speaking about father.
    — Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Prosecutors also charged Guzman with misdemeanor driving under the influence of alcohol and causing injury to Joshua Mazur, the child’s father.
    — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of father
Noun
  • Is class the best lens for understanding Hitler’s appeal, or is daddy worship?
    — Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Still, there’s something to the earnestness with which the movie does finally have its daddy issues and its cetacean ones intersect.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of daddy

Browse Nearby Words

dachas
dad
daddies
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dad. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of cockamamie

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

The Words of the Week - Nov. 6

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All