dotty

¹ American  

[dot-ee] / ˈdɒt i /

adjective

Informal.

dottier, dottiest

1. crazy or eccentric.

2. feeble or unsteady in gait.

3. very enthusiastic or infatuated (usually followed by about orover ).

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dotty ² American  

[dot-ee] / ˈdɒt i /

adjective

dottier, dottiest

1. marked with dots; dotted.

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dotty British  

/ ˈdɒtɪ /

adjective

1. slang feeble-minded; slightly crazy

2. slang (foll by about) extremely fond (of)

3. marked with dots

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• dottily
  adverb
• dottiness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of dotty¹

1805–15; perhaps dott(ard) variant of dotard + -y ¹

Origin of dotty²

First recorded in 1805–15; dot ¹ + -y ¹

Example Sentences

But Hall and Faris, now playing the dotty mothers of the next generation of victims, are hilarious, romping about like their Brenda and Cindy have clearly been knocked on the head too often.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026

Lise has run-ins with other passengers aboard her flight and, once at her destination, befriends a bumbling, dotty widow.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

Then, in 2024, he had to have the dotty idea to throw himself into contention for the vice presidency.

From Slate • Jan. 10, 2026

"If you see someone on the M40 looking particularly dotty," she told a surprised reporter, "it's me trying to rap in the car going home."

From BBC • Sep. 5, 2025

We like to regard the olfactory bulb as a sort of archeologic find, and we speak of the ancient olfactory parts of the brain as though they were elderly, dotty relatives in need of hobbies.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas