42 Father’s Day Quotes That Will Take Your Dad's Card Up a Notch

Don't let writer's block stop you from penning an awesome Father's Day card this year—turn to these heartfelt quotes for all the inspiration you need.

If you’re staring at a blank Father’s Day card, wondering how on earth you’re going to express your deep love and admiration for Dad onto one page—and top that amazing Father’s Day gift you already got him—look no further. Since it’s so hard to put our singular feelings for Dad into words, we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of the best Father’s Day quotes, from funny to inspiring, to make your life easier—and your dad smile. Whether you’re penning a Father’s Day message as a daughter, son, wife, or friend, there’s a perfect quote (or two) in here for the amazing dads (and grandfathers, and uncles) in your life.

The Best Quotes About Fathers and Fatherhood

"Father" is one of the most exceptional titles a man can hold—and these heartfelt quotes about fathers and fatherhood will instantly bring a smile (or maybe even tears!) to your dad or grandfather’s face.

“One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters.”
—George Herbert

"A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society."
—Billy Graham

"Son, brother, father, lover, friend. There is room in the heart for all the affections, as there is room in heaven for all the stars."
—Victor Hugo

"I love my father as the stars—he's a bright shining example and a happy twinkling in my heart."
—Terri Guillemets

"The heart of a father is the masterpiece of nature."
—Antoine Francois Prevost

"A father is the one friend upon whom we can always rely."
—Emile Gaboriau

"Dads are most ordinary men turned by love into heroes, adventurers, story-tellers, and singers of song."
—Pam Brown

"Daddies don't just love their children every now and then, it's a love without end."
—George Straight

"Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad."
—Anne Geddes

"A father is someone you look up to no matter how tall you grow."
—Unknown

"My father used to say that it's never too late to do anything you wanted to do. And he said, 'You never know what you can accomplish until you try.’"
—Michael Jordan

"My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person: He believed in me."
—Jim Valvano

Funny Father's Day Quotes

Are dads really dads if they don’t bust out a cheesy joke every once in a while? For all the fathers out there who love a good laugh, these funny Father’s Day quotes will definitely get him chuckling.

"There are three stages of a man’s life: he believes in Santa Claus, he doesn’t believe in Santa Claus, he is Santa Claus."
—Unknown

"There should be a children’s song: 'If you’re happy and you know it, keep it to yourself and let your dad sleep.'"
—Jim Gaffigan

"It’s a great joy but no test of love or commitment to take your son to a ball game. You really prove your credentials as a good dad when you are willing to take your daughter shopping—more than once."
—Michael Josephson

"By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he’s wrong."
—Charles Wadsworth

"Be nice to your dad. Most of fatherhood feels like going through customs with an outdated passport.”
—Jim Gaffigan

"Being a dad isn’t just about eating a huge bag of gummy bears as your wife gives birth. It means being comfortable with the word hero."
—Ryan Reynolds

"Being a great father is like shaving. No matter how good you shaved today, you have to do it again tomorrow."
—Reed Markham

"Fatherhood is great because you can ruin someone from scratch."
—John Stewart

Father's Day Quotes From a Daughter

There’s nothing quite as special as the bond between dad and daughter. These sweet and funny quotes about father-daughter relationships are the perfect way to distill a daughter’s love for her dad into one Father’s Day message.

"Old as she was, she still missed her daddy sometimes."
—Gloria Naylor

"A daughter needs a dad to be the standard against which she will judge all men."
—Gregory E. Lang

"On behalf of every man looking out for every girl, you are the God and the weight of her world."
—John Mayer, “Daughters”

"Being a daddy's girl is like having permanent armor for the rest of your life."
—Marinela Reka

"A little girl giggles when she is denied an ice-cream by her mother. She knows daddy will get her some later."
—Unknown

"You think I'm strong, you think I'm fearless/Even when I'm, I'm at my weakest/You always see the best in me when I can't/I wanna be the girl you think I am"
—Carrie Underwood, “The Girl You Think I Am”

"I am not ashamed to say that no man I ever met was my father's equal, and I never loved any other man as much."
—Hedy Lamarr

Father's Day Quotes for New Dads

A friend or relative of yours just welcomed their first child into the world—which means this is there first Father’s Day! Send them one of these wise and witty quotes to usher them into the Father’s Day club.

“Never is a man more of a man than when he is the father of a newborn.”
—Matthew McConaughey

"I’m very pleased and glad to welcome my own brother into the sleep deprivation society that is parenting."
—Prince William

"The nature of fatherhood is that you’re doing something that you’re unqualified to do, and then you become qualified when you do it."
—John Green

Father's Day Quotes From a Spouse

Love, pride, admiration, gratitude—just a few words to describe what someone feels for their husband on Father’s Day (and every day). Show father to your kids how much you adore them with one of these sentimental quotes.

"The only thing better than having you for a husband is our children having you for a daddy."
—Unknown

"Blessed indeed is the man who hears many gentle voices call him father."
—Lydia Maria Child

"A truly rich man is one whose children run into his arms when his hands are empty."
—Unknown

"We never know the love of a parent till we become parents ourselves."
—Henry Ward Beecher

"To the world you are a dad. To our family you are the world."
—Unknown

Father’s Day Quotes From a Son

For the man who showed you the ropes, picked you up when you were down, and always, always led by example—get inspired by one of these quotes centered around fathers and sons.

"An almost perfect relationship with his father was the earthly root of all his wisdom."
—C.S. Lewis, Phantastes

"When you teach your son, you teach your son’s son."
—The Talmud

"My father didn't tell me how to live. He lived and let me watch him do it."
—Clarence Budington Kelland

"Lately all my friends are worried that are turning into their fathers. I’m worried I’m not."
—Dan Zevin

"Until you have a son of your own... you will never know the joy, the love beyond feeling that resonates in the heart of a father as he looks upon his son."
—Kent Nerburn

"My dad is my best friend, my father, and my boss. When I do something that is exciting and he likes it, it feels three times as good as you can imagine."
—David Lauren

"Some people don't believe in heroes, but they haven't met my dad."
—Unknown