dad joke

American  

[dad johk] / ˈdæd ˌdʒoʊk /

noun

Informal.

dad jokes plural

1. a corny joke or pun suggestive of those made by fathers to their children.

   You don’t have to have kids to tell awful dad jokes.

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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.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• dad jokes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of dad joke

First recorded in 1985–90

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dad joke

Expect a stunt show finish and plenty of silliness, such as a dad joke or strength contests.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2025

It's a skill he underplays, even when he earnestly lobs a corny dad joke at me — "You know what zero said to eight? Nice belt."

From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2024

His version of a dad joke meant, I think, to jauntily suggest that I wasn’t his?

From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2024

“It’s a dad joke gone horribly right,” said Mason in a recent phone interview.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 14, 2023

And of course, good ol’ Victor Lockwood can’t resist a dad joke about how “hot” of a game it’s going to be.

From "Fast Pitch" by Nic Stone