stepfather
gb/stˈɛpfˌɑðɚ/ us/stˈɛpfˌɑðɚ/
A2
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
role
1
mother’s husband, not your father
Your stepfather is your mother’s husband (but he is not your biological father).
Usage pattern:
[someone]’s stepfather
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse stepfather with foster father (a caregiver arranged by authorities) or adoptive father (a legal parent through adoption).
Synonyms
stepdad (Informal and more personal-sounding than stepfather.)
|
mother’s husband (A descriptive phrase; may not imply the family relationship as strongly as stepfather.)
Antonyms
biological father (The man who is someone’s father by birth, not through remarriage/partnership.)
|
father (General term; often implies the biological or adoptive parent rather than a step-parent.)
Collocations
my stepfather
|her stepfather
|his stepfather
|meet my stepfather
|live with my stepfather
|get along with your stepfather
|relationship with my stepfather
|my stepfather remarried
|stepfather and stepchild
|my stepfather’s kids
Themes
family
|relationships
|daily_life
Examples
- After his mom remarried, Tom got a stepfather.
- My stepfather helped me move into my new apartment.
- She has a close relationship with her stepfather now.
Learner examples
- My stepfather is very kind.
- I live with my mother and my stepfather.
Grammar
Dictionary form
stepfather
IPA
GB/stˈɛpfˌɑðɚ/
US/stˈɛpfˌɑðɚ/
Syllables & stress
step - fath - er (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (step)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: stepfather
- Plural: stepfathers
Expressions
stepfather figure
1/stˈɛpfˌɑðɚ fˈɪɡjɚ/
fixed phrase
man who acts like a stepfather
A man who behaves like a stepfather.
Examples
- His coach became a stepfather figure after his mom started dating him.
- She says her uncle was a stepfather figure when she was growing up.
stepfather of [something]
1/stˈɛpfˌɑðɚ əv sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
literary
important predecessor, not the founder
Someone who strongly influenced something, but didn’t start it.
Examples
- In the article, he’s called the stepfather of modern ambient music.
- She was jokingly described as the stepfather of the project because she took over after it began.