Skip to main content
Urban Dictionary Merch
Your favorite words on things you can wear, drink from, read, or give to a friend.
The Urban Dictionary Store sells gifts you’ll have to explain.

Dad Joke 

A specific type of single line dry humor that is primarily used by fathers.

The Dad Joke is a pejorative term to describe a corny or predictable joke, typically a pun. Generally inoffensive, Dad Jokes are traditionally told by fathers among family, either with sincere humorous intent, or to intentionally provoke a negative reaction.

It is important to note that said antidotes and jokes are unrelated to those intended to be about fathers; rather, the Dad Joke is a single line of irony or direct correlated humor, created by and demonstrated by the father, or dad, himself.

An example of one of the most common Dad Jokes is as follows: A child will say to the dad, "I am hungry," to which the dad will reply, "Hi, Hungry, I am Dad." Many Dad Jokes are considered to be anti-jokes, deriving humor from an intentionally unfunny punchline.

Term Origination: The Dad Joke has been the cause of much controversy throughout the decades since origination. A man in Florida was actually banned from Walt Disney World due to the use of a Dad Joke. Bernard Lakritz is credited as being the originator of the Dad Joke in 1949 with the term spreading into general use, receiving mentions in Australian quiz show Spicks And Specks, and American sitcom How I Met Your Mother.

References In The Media:

Father's Day: In Praise Of Dad Jokes
10 Best Dad Jokes Ahead Of Father's Day

Spicks & Specks - Dad Jokes

Not A Father's Day
Even Jesus Told A Great Dad Joke
Dad Jokes On Reddit
"That was a horrible Dad Joke!"

"Stop Dad Joking!"

"No Dad Jokes allowed."

"Oh, no, is dad telling more Dad Jokes?"
Dad Joke by Maggiemaggamuff May 30, 2018

dad joke 

Style of joke often limited to the dads of the world because anyone else would be able to see how embarrassing the punch-line and response will be.
>You know what a wok is don't you?
>(flatly) What dad?
>It's what you throw at a wabbit when you don't have a wifle. Hur hur hur.
>Ugh. Dad joke.
dad joke by HungryNoobivore February 3, 2010

Dad joke 

A joke which makes son and or family member face palm because of how simple it is
Son: "i'm tired" Dad: "hello tired, I'm dad - Omg nice dad joke
Dad joke by bigwangman March 12, 2015

Dad joke 

What makes a dad joke isn't just the fact that it is often lame, but rather a dad joke is told souly for the entertainment of the teller (dad) and not the audience.
My dad didn't notice me in the room and just tested a stud finder on himself, beeped, said it worked, and laughed with nobody else around him. Typical dad joke
Dad joke by PeterDadBodLouis December 4, 2018

Dad Joke 

An embarassingly bad joke. Often demonstrated during wedding or 18th/21st Birthday Speeches.
Situation: You've just had a hair cut.
Dad Joke: What happened to you son? Had a run-in with a lawn mower?!
Dad Joke by Bunny January 20, 2004

Dad joke 

A joke that has little or no humour.
Person 1: What do you call fake spaghetti?
An impasta.
Person 2: Dude, that's such a dad joke.
Dad joke by penisshakes March 31, 2016
More from Urban Dictionary
When your wife’s boyfriend let you sleep past 8pm 😎😎
Wife’s boyfriend: You have 5 more minutes
Me: Poggers!
Poggers by Just_Charles April 14, 2020
Word of the Day on October 26, 2026

Oblication 

A vacation, feeling more like an obligation, that involves visiting or staying with family.
So Joe where are you taking the kids for spring break vacation? We are going on an oblication to Boca to visit my mother-in-law.
Oblication by kimmerr May 5, 2011
Word of the Day on October 25, 2026

Surf Dracula Syndrome 

A phenomenon in film/television series, most notably streaming series, where the main premise is drawn out to such a point that it takes an entire season or more to get the parts of the series the audience is actually interested in seeing.

For example, if a series is titled "Surf Dracula," a majority of viewers would tune in expecting to see Dracula surfing by the first or second episode. However, the entire first season would instead be tedious padding and backstory before finally ending with Dracula surfing in the last five minutes of the season finale.
I watched "Smallville" on Netflix the other day. Dude, it was ten seasons of filler before he finally flew! Major Surf Dracula Syndrome!
Word of the Day on October 24, 2026

Northstarring

Finding your way back to the truth by fixing on one verified fact and working out from there, the way you navigate by the North Star when everything around you is spinning.
Rumours were flying everywhere, so she went northstarring — one checked fact at a time.
Northstarring by Light Bearer October 22, 2026
Word of the Day on October 23, 2026

Plate of Brown 

A plate of brown consists of foods that have little to no nutritional value, and are typically deep fried. A true plate of brown will also be accompanied by a dark soda.
Wanna go to meal hall & grab a plate of brown?
Plate of Brown by Cheddar Craigson September 18, 2020
Word of the Day on October 22, 2026

Larpenomics

When finance content creators rent out fancy cars and flex cash to seem richer than they really are in order to promote and sell their “get rich quick” courses.
Andrew Tate has mastered the field of larpenomics
Larpenomics by Rbois09 October 21, 2026
Word of the Day on October 21, 2026
Load more