1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
  • Dubbed the ‘American Turtle’ for its appearance, the submarine made three attempts to blow up British ships without success, but is considered the forerunner of modern submarines.
    — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 16 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of forerunner
Noun
  • Their ancestors had entered the United States through Southern ports, especially New Orleans and Galveston, which gave them a different political and cultural orientation from those who had entered through the East, and above all through New York.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
  • While the complexities around working within a park that his ancestors had been removed from remain, Mgesi now supports much of his extended family with the steady wage.
    — Juliet Kinsman, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of ancestor
Noun
  • As far back as the 1950s, the Dutch embryologist Peter Nieuwkoop argued that the human brain’s precursor cells were all identical in the ectoderm.
    — Mike McRae September 21, New Atlas, 22 Sep. 2026
  • In June, the co-founder of the citizen watchdog group, DeFlock Idaho, Tyler Cain, filed a pair of tort claims against the cities of Caldwell and Wilder — civil claims which act as possible precursors to lawsuits.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of precursor

Browse Nearby Words

granddaddies
granddaddy
grande dame
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Granddaddy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/granddaddy. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of pundit

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

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
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All