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

• dottily adverb
• dottiness noun

Etymology

Origin of dotty¹

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

Origin of dotty¹

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

Example Sentences

"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

Murphy’s Countess is a dotty, conscientious woman awoken from her comfort and determined to claim it back.

From New York Times

He has also typically been blessed with actors skilled at selling dotty setups with deadpan ease.

From New York Times

So did a chunk of our dotty heads.

From Washington Post

Ms. Lansbury’s final competitive win — for best featured actress in a play — was for “Blithe Spirit,” a 2009 revival of the Noel Coward comedy in which she played a dotty clairvoyant.

From Washington Post