granddaddy

noun

ˈgran-ˌda-dē How to pronounce granddaddy (audio)
variants also grandaddy
Definition of granddaddynext
as in forerunner
something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed the granddaddy of all English mystery novels

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 granddaddy Reata Restaurant Reata is the granddaddy, on the brink of turning 30 and still downtown’s home of Southwestern dining. — Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Apr. 2026 Yet now the granddaddy of philanthropic sporting events is being replaced by a sport actually popularized by granddaddies — pickleball. — Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Apr. 2026 The Mimslyn Inn, a member of the Historic Hotels of America, is the granddaddy of all Luray lodging. — Erica Silverstein, Travel + Leisure, 16 Mar. 2026 But some years, the granddaddy of all entertainment awards shows has had a distinctly Bay Area resonance. — Culture Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 13 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for granddaddy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for granddaddy
  1. forerunner
  2. ancestor
  3. precursor
Noun
  • Margaret and Alice are the forerunners of Lucy and Ethel, and Shakespeare’s comedy, written expressly to entertain, gives us a sense of what an Elizabethan-era situation comedy might look like.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026
  • One of the forerunners today in Madeira and the Azores is António Maçanita from Azores Wine Company.
    — Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of forerunner
Noun
  • Patrick Scribner has only limited memories of what, for generations, was home to his ancestors.
    — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The Millers also see the hand of their ancestors in all of this.
    — Lesley Stahl, CBS News, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of ancestor
Noun
  • Two other groups received Lasker Awards, which are often precursors for Nobel Prizes.
    — O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 10 Sep. 2026
  • These signs can be precursors to dysfunction and disease, per the researchers, including heart failure and atrial fibrillation (commonly known as AFib).
    — Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of precursor

Browse Nearby Words

granddaddies
granddaddy
grande dame
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Cite this Entry

“Granddaddy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/granddaddy. Accessed 11 Sep. 2026.

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