dad
noun
a person’s father or one’s father.
dad
1 American
[dad]
/ dæd /
noun
-
a person’s father or one’s father.
-
a person who is corny or embarrassing in the way that a father figure might be.
He was being such a dad when he told that story.
-
a term of endearment used to refer to a man or boy who is admired.
A bunch of teens commented “HI DAD!” on the rapper’s post.
adjective
-
corny or embarrassing in the way that a father figure might be: the most dad story ever.
a dad joke;
the most dad story ever.
-
handsome or stylish; amazing; to be admired.
Those shoes are totally dad.
verb (used with object)
-
to act as a father toward; act paternally toward.
Stop dadding me about my grades!
-
to refer to (an admired man or boy) as “dad”.
My friends dad me whenever I look good.
verb (used without object)
-
to perform the tasks or duties of a male parent; act paternally.
He dads like a champ.
-
to refer to an admired man or boy as “dad”.
They dad whenever a new photo pops up on their feeds.
dad
2
American
[dad]
/ dæd /
interjection
Informal.
dad
3
American
[dad]
/ dæd /
noun
Scot. and North England.
-
a solid blow or knock.
-
a large slice, lump, or portion.
ḍad
4
American
[dahd]
/ dɑd /
noun
dad
British
/ dæd /
noun
Etymology
Origin of dad1
First recorded in 1530–40; probably originally baby talk dah-dah
Origin of dad2
First recorded in 1670–80; euphemism for God; see also Gad 1 ( def. )
Origin of dad3
First recorded in 1710–20; probably variant of dab 1
Origin of ḍad4
From Arabic
Explanation
Dad is an informal word for father. It’s a word like "pop" or "daddy." Some families have two dads, others have none. Sometimes a dad gets a “World’s Greatest Dad” mug on Father’s Day. Well done, sir. If you’re talking about any ol’ dad, don’t capitalize it. There are dads all over the place. If you’re addressing your own father, basically using Dad as his name, do capitalize the “d.” The word dates from at least 1500, and it's believed to come from childish speech, or baby talk, since a very common first sound made by babies is "da."
Vocabulary lists containing dad
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
HIS DAD, AN ecologist and amateur photographer, instilled in his son the importance of pictures in engaging people in conservation.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 1, 2023
She captioned the tribute: “Happy Fathers Day to the DAD OF ALL DADS!! What a blessing it is to call you my daddy, love and miss you every single day!”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 23, 2023
The finished tattoo includes the Luton Town badge, the date Terry Hyde died and the words "R.I.P DAD".
From BBC • Jun. 21, 2023
MOM AND DAD I’ll call my parents, who live in Arlington, Va., and catch up with them for about an hour.
From New York Times • Dec. 7, 2018
DAD: I think you haven’t gotten over Charlie.
From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
