father noun

ADJ. lone, single As a single father, he found it a struggle bringing up three children. | widowed | absent | biological, natural, real | adoptive, foster, step- | surrogate Elena's brother was a surrogate father to her kids after her husband died. | elderly, old | dead, deceased, late | caring, devoted, good, loving, marvellous He is very good with children and would make a marvellous father. | adoring, doting, indulgent | beloved She kept the books that had belonged to her beloved father. | proud He has just become the proud father of a baby girl. | domineering, overbearing, possessive | drunken, violent | doctor, engineer, immigrant, etc. Their musician father encouraged their love of music.

VERB + FATHER resemble, take after The two boys were like their mother in character, but Louise took after her father. | follow, succeed She followed her father into the legal profession. He succeeded his father as Professor of Botany. | inherit sth from She inherited the urge to travel from her father.

FATHER + NOUN figure Some of his students regard him as a father figure.

PHRASES a father of two, etc. Boland, a father of two, was arrested on charges of theft. | follow in your father's footsteps He followed in his father's footsteps and became a motor mechanic. | the death/loss of your father