daddy
Americannoun
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daddies
plural
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Informal. a diminutive of dad.
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Slang. sugar daddy.
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Slang. an affectionate or familiar term of address to a boyfriend or male romantic partner, especially if he is older.
verb (used with object)
idioms
noun
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an informal word for father
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slang the supreme or finest example
the daddy of them all
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slang the dominant male in a group; boss; top man
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of daddy
Explanation
Daddy is an affectionate nickname for your father. For many babies, daddy is one of the earliest words they learn to speak. Many young children call their fathers daddy, and the word is believed to come from baby talk, or the initial sounds — da da — that a baby or toddler tends to make when she's first learning to speak. It's less common for a grown person to call her dad daddy, although some people use the childish nickname throughout their lives.
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.
See Examples For:
"My dad wasn't an educated man, he wasn't able to read and write, but my daddy had a great sense of business," she told the BBC's World Service in 2017.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
"My mother was a Democrat and my daddy was a Republican, so I’m a hypocrite," she quipped.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
“I think there’s definitely a wish to provide for his mother, and to be the daddy of Team Green,” actor Ewan Mitchell said, referring to a fan name for his family’s faction.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
Under a photo of Star with a cross-eyed expression, he wrote, “I love you, my daddy Michael. Your son, Blowhole.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026
“I would be grateful,” I whispered through my hurt, “to be even half the man my daddy was.”
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
The programmes are "parent-led, trauma-informed and support these mummies and daddies in the darkness".
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2025
But they’re also doing something many child-free cat ladies and cat daddies can relate to on a scale that suits them – growing food, making butter, harvesting eggs.
From Salon ● Jul. 31, 2024
“I trust mamas, I trust daddies, to deal with the health care of their children.”
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 16, 2023
Wyatt told his mother “some people’s daddies leave and they get hurt and they don’t come home,” but she tried to reassure him.
From New York Times ● May 14, 2023
Focus on the floor because I ain't got time to get stunted on by a whole bunch of rich girls whose daddies own stuff.
From "Patina" by Jason Reynolds
With Henry suddenly tired of daddying, the twins melted back into the woods with Wash every chance they got, taking Edgar along for their adventures.
From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez
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.
