dad joke
Americannoun
Usage
What is a dad joke? The term dad joke is used to refer to a joke that's intentionally corny—the kind of joke that dads are known to tell their kids (or any random person they encounter). In most cases, the punch lines of dad jokes involve a pun or some form of wordplay.
Etymology
Origin of dad joke
First recorded in 1985–90
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.
Musk met Grimes while trying to make a dad joke about Roko’s Basilisk, a thought experiment about an all-powerful future artificial intelligence that punishes past critics via time travel.
From Salon • Nov. 7, 2025
The caller knows your name, and opens with a dad joke.
From Seattle Times • May 16, 2023
Not a bad dad joke by any measure.
From Washington Post • Sep. 20, 2022
My mom and dad joke with each other all the time.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2022
“Worst dad joke ever,” David says, but he’s grinning.
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
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.
