Meaning & use
daddy issues
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Meaning
phrasepluralinformaldisapproving
An informal, often disapproving term for emotional or relationship problems believed to come from a woman's relationship with her father, especially if he was absent or distant.
Grammar: Always plural; used with a plural verb: 'Her daddy issues are obvious.' It is not used with 'a'.
Patterns
- have daddy issues
- someone's daddy issues
The magazine article claimed that many of her relationship problems were caused by daddy issues.
He said she had daddy issues, but that was just a rude way to avoid talking about their real problems.
The phrase 'daddy issues' is often criticized because it blames women for problems that may have many causes.
Common combinations
- have daddy issues
- Some people say that celebrities with troubled love lives have daddy issues.
- a case of daddy issues
- The talk show host described the singer's behavior as a case of daddy issues.
- accuse someone of having daddy issues
- He accused her of having daddy issues during the argument, which only made things worse.
Synonyms and how they differ
- father complex
- A more formal, psychological term for a similar idea; it is less insulting and not usually used in everyday conversation.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'daddy issues' in the most natural way?
Choose one answer.
The phrase is always plural and does not take 'a' or 'the'. Option 2 is correct; the others are wrong because they use singular or article forms that do not fit this fixed expression.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “daddy issues”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.