Dad Definition & Meaning

American

British

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms dad 1 American [dad] / dæd /

noun

1. a person’s father or one’s father.

2. a person who is corny or embarrassing in the way that a father figure might be.

   He was being such a dad when he told that story.

3. a term of endearment used to refer to a man or boy who is admired.

   A bunch of teens commented “HI DAD!” on the rapper’s post.

adjective

1. corny or embarrassing in the way that a father figure might be: the most dad story ever.

   a dad joke;

   the most dad story ever.

2. handsome or stylish; amazing; to be admired.

   Those shoes are totally dad.

verb (used with object)

1. to act as a father toward; act paternally toward.

   Stop dadding me about my grades!

2. to refer to (an admired man or boy) as “dad”.

   My friends dad me whenever I look good.

verb (used without object)

1. to perform the tasks or duties of a male parent; act paternally.

   He dads like a champ.

2. to refer to an admired man or boy as “dad”.

   They dad whenever a new photo pops up on their feeds.

dad 2 American [dad] / dæd /

noun

Scot. and North England.

1. a solid blow or knock.

2. a large slice, lump, or portion.

ḍad 3 American [dahd] / dɑd /

noun

1. the 15th letter of the Arabic alphabet.

dad 4 American [dad] / dæd /

interjection

Informal.

1. God (used in combination in mild oaths).

   dad-blamed; dad-gummed.

dad British / dæd /

noun

1. an informal word for father

"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

Etymology

Origin of dad1

First recorded in 1530–40; probably originally baby talk dah-dah

Origin of dad1

First recorded in 1710–20; probably variant of dab 1

Origin of ḍad1

From Arabic

Origin of dad1

First recorded in 1670–80; euphemism for God; Gad 1 ( def. )

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.

His dad and siblings live within blocks of him in Södermalm.

From Los Angeles Times

His son David speculated that his dad’s mixed feelings about his fast-food career stemmed from a mentality common among children of the Depression: “Excess bothered them. It almost seemed profligate and unnecessary,” he explained.

From The Wall Street Journal

And Maya-Jade seemed like the kind of person who had a regular mom and dad who helped with school projects and packed healthy lunches in those fancy boxes with tiny compartments.

From Literature

From August through November, we move from my mom’s to mine to my siblings’, with only a brief intermission before my dad’s rolls around in April.

From Salon

He keeps his hair long on top, a volcano of tight curls, the same style his dad used to wear.

From Literature

Related Words

• old man
• papa
• parent

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.