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Synonyms

daddy

American  
[dad-ee] / ˈdæd i /

noun

plural

daddies

  1. Informal. a diminutive of dad.

  2. Slang. sugar daddy.

  3. Slang. an affectionate or familiar term of address to a boyfriend or male romantic partner, especially if he is older.

verb (used with object)

daddied, daddying

  1. Chiefly Appalachian. to father or sire.

idioms

  1. daddy of all, the greatest or most notable example of.

    the daddy of all motorcycles.
daddy British  
/ ˈdædɪ /

noun

  1. an informal word for father

  2. slang the supreme or finest example

    the daddy of them all

  3. slang the dominant male in a group; boss; top man

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
daddy More Idioms  

  1. see big daddy; granddaddy of them all; sugar daddy.

Etymology

Origin of daddy

First recorded in 1490–1500; dad 1 + -y 2

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.

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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.

“That was my first really inkling of what my daddy did,” he said, “and the type of people that were at the club.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026

In the end, Lachlan received the long-sought kiss from daddy while James discovered, through an assortment of leaks, how much his mother and father couldn’t stomach him.

From Salon • Mar. 14, 2026

In a word or two, the film hints that she’s an orphan and he has daddy issues.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 5, 2025

She and her dad had chosen music for her wedding next year, including a "daddy dance" but she lost him just a few weeks later and now the planning has stopped.

From BBC • Dec. 4, 2025

And I knew she was sorry for the bad things she had said about my daddy all this time.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

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.