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pappy

pappy

42 8.1
An informal, loving name for a grandfather
  • noun
  • /ˈpæpi/
  • Informal
translation icon : abuelo
  • My grandpappy did it, my pappy did it, I did it.
  • mammy and pappy
  • pappy said
  • called pappy

This thing is as old as your grand pappy man.

Examples

  • Thanks, Pappy.

  • All right, my compatriots, it's days like these I remember my grand pappy's advice.

  • Well, Pappy never was strong with the truth!

  • My old pappy always said I was a damn fool.

  • My pappy always said, 'He who fights and runs away can run away another day.'

    Fiction book (1994)
  • We're trying to get Pappy's apartment fixed up to rent.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • Why, hello, Pappy.

  • Pappy Sams, Mrs. Finston's father, built our house, which my parents bought for $37,000 in 1967.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • My grandchild loves to hear stories about the adventures I had when I was young, and they always call me pappy.

  • Whenever I visit, my pappy tells me the same funny jokes he used to tell when I was a kid.

Synonyms

papi
vspappy
  • Informal
98 9.0

A father or grandfather someone calls in a loving way

is narrower in family focus, mainly for grandfather or old man
granddaddy
vspappy
  • Informal
43 4.3

The father of your mother or father

is more flexible, covering family grandfathers and old men generally
grampa
vspappy
  • Informal
40 5.0

An older man who is the parent of one of your parents

is the same idea but may sound more playful or short
gramps
vspappy
  • Informal
22 7.9

A casual name people use for their grandfather

is broader, also used for elderly men who are not relatives
gramp
vspappy
  • Informal
17 8.1

An informal loving name for your grandfather

includes both grandfather and also any old man in informal speech
grandpappy
vspappy
  • Informal
6 7.7

An older man who is your grandfather or a kind male relative

is similar but can be used for any old man informally
grandpapa
vspappy
  • Informal
6 3.0

A loving name a child uses for their grandfather

is broader by also referring to any old man casually
grandpap
vspappy
  • Informal
1 6.7

An old man used as a friendly name for your grandfather or another older man

matches that meaning but feels slightly more familiar in tone
poppa
vspappy
  • Informal
7.0

A familiar loving name a child uses for their grandfather

also applies to an old man beyond the family relation
popie
vspappy
  • Slang
9.9

A loving nickname for a child's grandfather or sometimes father

is more consistently for grandfather or any elderly man in speech

How Affectionate

pappy
  • Informal
42 8.1
grandpa
  • Informal
703 1.0
granddad
  • Informal
75 1.0
grandfather
823 1.0

Surface Forms

pappy singular
pappies plural

Etymology

Pappy as a name comes from papa (or pappa), a child's word for 'father' or 'grandfather', so it became a loving name for an old man. That's why someone might call their grandfather 'pappy'.