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deadbeat dad

American

[ded-beet dad] / ˈdɛd bit ˈdæd /

noun

Informal.

a father who neglects his responsibilities as a parent, especially one who does not pay child support.

The deadbeat dad was forced to pay a lump sum of over $10,000 to settle the case.

Etymology

Origin of deadbeat dad

First recorded in 1975–80

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.

So therefore I get this deadbeat dad title.

From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2023

"He'd be treated like a deadbeat dad not paying child support," said Minor Myers, a professor of UConn School of Law.

From Reuters • Jul. 13, 2022

It is hard to know what is worse: a deadbeat dad or a deadbeat granddad.

From Washington Times • Apr. 11, 2022

Brooks, a career felon and deadbeat dad who owes more than $40,000 in unpaid child support, fell further behind on payments earlier this year and found himself in contempt of a Waukesha paternity court.

From Fox News • Nov. 30, 2021

A single-parent home is all I’ve ever known, and Lucy more than made up for some deadbeat dad.

From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023