dad

noun

ˈdad How to pronounce dad (audio)
plural dads
Synonyms of dadnext
informal
: a male parent : father entry 1 sense 1
My mom swam and played soccer, my dad surfed, and my brother played basketball.—Shannon Griggs
Don't get me wrong, I'm a good dad who maintains a cheerful household and greets parenthood with a smile and an open heart.—Ron Harris
—often used as a name
When is Dad getting home?
Dad, can you give me a ride?

Synonyms of dad

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Examples of dad in a Sentence

Her mom and dad both said she can't go. my dad did most of the cooking for dinner because he usually got home earlier than my mom
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The only thing that matters is that my kids, their moms and my dad are proud of me. — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2026 Along with his brother, Tate has enjoyed plenty of father-son fishing trips with his dad over the years, just as Luke had planned. — Lia Beck, PEOPLE, 19 Oct. 2026 Officers then cuffed the youngster as he was loaded into an ambulance and hospitalized for a fractured femur and a nasty bruise on his head, according to the lawsuit, which was filed by the teen’s dad, Mahmoud Saleh, in Brooklyn Federal Court. — John Annese, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026 Among them were a parent at her daughter’s school who recognized her on account of her voice alone and a dad on an airplane whose baby had been crying non-stop for over an hour. — Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dad

Word History

Etymology

probably baby talk

First Known Use

1533, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dad was in 1533

Phrases Containing dad

Rhymes for dad

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Browse Nearby Words

Dacus
dad
Dada
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Cite this Entry

“Dad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dad. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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