dotard
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
- dotardly adverb
Etymology
Origin of dotard
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English doterd, dooterd, dootarde; dote, -ard
Explanation
You might think of the eccentric old man next door as a dotard, but it wouldn't be very polite to refer to him that way out loud. A dotard is a person who's old and senile. The noun dotard used to be a standard way to insult someone by implying that they were physically and mentally decrepit. Shakespeare, Chaucer, and J.R.R. Tolkien all used it regularly as a put-down between characters. Dotard is much less common these days. It comes from the Middle Low German doten, "be foolish," and when correctly pronounced, it rhymes with goatherd.
Vocabulary lists containing dotard
This Week in Words: September 17 - 24, 2017
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Much Ado About Nothing
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Tolkien Reading Day, List 7
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Mr. Shapiro concluded: “That said, the imagery of a dotard who can barely form words from his face-hole actually being a laser-eyed deathlord is pretty hilarious.”
From Washington Times • Aug. 10, 2022
The dictator responded with a heckling that briefly make the term "dotard" the world of the day.
From Salon • Mar. 5, 2022
Even with all her love, there was only so much that could be done for the poor dotard and so on.
From The Guardian • Feb. 20, 2020
When words and phrases like "wack job," "mentally deranged" and "dotard" are exchanged, it's no surprise the U.S. and North Korea aren't allies.
From Fox News • Feb. 12, 2020
I will not step down to be the dotard chamberlain of an upstart.
From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
