grandfather

noun

ˈgran(d)-ˌfä-t͟hər How to pronounce grandfather (audio)
Definition of grandfathernext
as in father
a person who is several generations earlier in an individual's line of descent this tradition has been passed down from our pioneer grandfathers

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of grandfather Cogitore’s film finds a parallel in a tapestry by Zhenya Machneva depicting the engine of her grandfather’s Renault Kangoo. — Sarah Belmont For Artnews, Robb Report, 14 Oct. 2026 Which Lee is true — the grandfather who wants to meet and get to know his granddaughter, or the father who never cared to know his son? — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2026 Holding their own are a curious set of chairs from the designer’s grandfather. — Sarah Medford, Architectural Digest, 14 Oct. 2026 Fox News Digital previously reported on another frightening bison encounter at Yellowstone National Park that left a grandfather seriously injured. — Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for grandfather
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grandfather
  1. father
  2. ancestor
Noun
  • Cassegrain is the company’s third-ever CEO, following his father and grandfather.
    — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Born in Los Angeles in 1954 to parents who hailed from Chicago, his father, Warren, founded a tape duplication service and later served as vice president of sales at Sussex Records, which produced acts like R&B crooner Bill Withers.
    — Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of father
Noun
  • The ancestors of today’s trees are some 20,000 times older than the oldest cities.
    — Jeanna Bryner, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • That would mean their ancestors had already reached the continent before the split occurred.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of ancestor

Browse Nearby Words

grandeur
grandfather
grandfather clock
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Cite this Entry

“Grandfather.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grandfather. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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