dotty
/'dɔti/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Eccentric or slightly crazy: Describes a person who behaves in a strange, silly, or mildly irrational way.
- Intensely enthusiastic or infatuated: Describes being extremely keen on or preoccupied with something or someone.
Usage
- The primary meaning is informal and describes mild, often endearing, mental irregularity or eccentricity.
- The secondary meaning describes an intense, sometimes obsessive, fondness for something.
Examples
- Describing eccentricity:
- My dotty old aunt collects garden gnomes and talks to them.
- He came up with a rather dotty plan to mail himself across the country.
- Describing enthusiasm:
- She's completely dotty about that new boy band.
- He's been dotty about classic cars since he was a teenager.
Advanced Usage
- "to be/go dotty": to be or become eccentric or slightly crazy.
- I think the isolation made him go a bit dotty.
- "dotty about/on": to be extremely fond of or obsessed with.
- He's absolutely dotty on her.
Variants and Related Words
- Dottiness (n): The state or quality of being dotty.
- We all love the harmless dottiness of our grandfather.
Synonyms
- Eccentric: unconventional and slightly strange.
- Batty: crazy or eccentric (informal).
- Potty: silly or crazy; also, very enthusiastic about (informal, British).
- Balmy: mildly crazy or foolish (informal).
Antonyms
- Sane: of sound mind; not mentally ill.
- Sensible: having or showing good sense or judgment.
- Indifferent: having no particular interest or sympathy.
Notes
- "Dotty" is an informal, often humorous term. It is not used in clinical or formal contexts to describe mental illness.
- Its origin relates to being "full of dots," suggesting a mind scattered with odd ideas.
Adjective
- intensely enthusiastic about or preoccupied with
- crazy about cars and racing
- he is potty about her
- informal or slang terms for mentally irregular
- it used to drive my husband balmy