Slang

deadbeat dad

This page is about the slang term deadbeat dad

American English

Meaning

a father who doesn't pay child support regularly

For example

  • Ted started drinking and then his wife left him. Now he isn't giving her the money to look after their kids, so he's a typical deadbeat dad.

  • I'm sure no-one wants to be a deadbeat dad, but sometimes people get into trouble and end up doing things they never imagined they'd do.

Variety

This is typically used in American English but may be used in other varieties of English too.

Quick Quiz

Trevor hates being a deadbeat dad, so he's trying to get a job so that he can

a. buy a new sports car

b. pay child support for his kids

c. take his girlfriend on a holiday
a) buy a new sports car b) pay child support for his kids c) take his girlfriend on a holiday
deadbeat dad

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Contributor: Matt Errey