Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
dotty 1[dot-ee] ExamplesWord Origin See more synonyms for dotty on Thesaurus.com adjective, dot·ti·er, dot·ti·est. Informal.
- crazy or eccentric.
- feeble or unsteady in gait.
- very enthusiastic or infatuated (usually followed by about or over).
Origin of dotty 1 1805–15; perhaps dott(ard) variant of dotard + -y1 Related formsdot·ti·ly, adverbdot·ti·ness, noun dotty 2[dot-ee] adjective, dot·ti·er, dot·ti·est.
Origin of dotty 2First recorded in 1805–15; dot1 + -y1 Related formsdot·ti·ness, noun Dottie or Dot·ty [dot-ee] noun
Related Words for dotty absurd, daft, demented, disturbed, eccentric, foolish, goofy, loony, nuts, nutty, odd, peculiar, queer, ridiculous, strange, twisted, unconventional, weird Examples from the Web for dotty Contemporary Examples of dotty
Gustav would later describe his ex-wife, quite accurately, as “dotty, romantic, and forever craving change.”
World War II’s Most Glamorous Spy: Christine Granville
Emma Garman
July 7, 2013
Abdul either provides heart or functions as the dotty aunt at the family picnic, depending on your point of view.
Kim Masters
August 5, 2009
Historical Examples of dotty
Dotty unrolled herself from the curtain with a triumphant smile.
Sophie May
Dotty tried to think there might be time enough, after all, to find the rings.
Sophie May
At the mention of rings, Dotty blushed, and stole a glance at Mrs. Allen.
Sophie May
Why, Dotty, I’ve excused you to Mrs. Pragoff, and it wouldn’t be polite to go now.
Sophie May
Dotty, it seems, was feeling very much like a bitter-sour apple.
Sophie May
British Dictionary definitions for dotty dotty adjective -tier or -tiest
- slang, mainly British feeble-minded; slightly crazy
- British slang (foll by about) extremely fond (of)
- marked with dots
Derived Formsdottily, adverbdottiness, nounWord Origin for dotty C19: from dot 1 : sense development of 1 from meaning of “unsteady on one’s feet” Word Origin and History for dotty adj.
1812, “full of dots,” from dot (n.) + -y (2). Meaning “silly” is from c.1400, in dotypolle “dotty poll” (i.e. “dotty head”), in which case the first element is from dote (v.).