daddy

Meanings

1. 1nouncountableinformalchild language

   A child's word for their father, used also by some adults in an affectionate way.

   Grammar: Often used like a name with no article: Daddy is home. It is spelled with two d's in the middle.

   Patterns

   • Daddy's something

   Daddy is making pancakes for breakfast.

   The little girl ran to the door and shouted, Daddy is home!

   She asked her daddy to read another story.

2. 2nouncountableinformalhumorousBritish

   Something older, larger or the most important of its kind, often in a humorous phrase such as the daddy of them all.

   Grammar: Informal and mostly British; usually used with the: the daddy of all storms.

   Patterns

   • the daddy of something

   That was the daddy of all traffic jams.

   This rollercoaster is the daddy of all rides in the park.

Word forms

Common combinations

daddy's girl

She was always a daddy's girl and followed him everywhere.

daddy's boy

He was teased for being a daddy's boy.

daddy long legs

A daddy long legs crawled across the ceiling.

sugar daddy

The film is about a student and her wealthy sugar daddy.

the daddy of them all

This storm is the daddy of them all.

Synonyms and how they differ

dad

Dad is the standard casual word used by children and adults, while daddy sounds more childlike or tender.

papa

Papa is a more old-fashioned or foreign-flavored word, and may be preferred in some families.

pop

Pop is an informal American word that can sound a little brusque compared with daddy.

father

Father is the neutral, formal term, while daddy is intimate and used mostly by or toward young children.

Word family

dad noun

a casual word for father

dada noun

a baby's early word for father

daddy-o noun

an old-fashioned slang greeting for a man

granddaddy noun

an informal word for grandfather

Commonly confused: daddy or dady?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “daddy”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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