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Showing results for besotted. Search instead for besoiled.
Synonyms

besotted

American  
[bih-sot-id] / bɪˈsɒt ɪd /

adjective

  1. infatuated or obsessed.

    The besotted mom showed off pictures of her new baby.

    They had one date and he was utterly besotted.

  2. intoxicated; drunk.

    We found him besotted with wine.


besotted British  
/ bɪˈsɒtɪd /

adjective

  1. stupefied with drink; intoxicated

  2. infatuated; doting

  3. foolish; muddled

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms


Etymology

Origin of besotted

First recorded in 1580–90; besot + -ed 2


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.

See Examples For:

“I was in awe of his intellect, dazzled by his wit, amazed by his fearlessness and spirit of adventure, besotted by his loving heart, and smitten by his beautiful blue eyes.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

Mr. Crowe, retaining a trace of his Hermann Göring from “Nuremberg,” is transparently deceitful to everyone but his besotted student, who agrees to be one of Murray’s guinea pigs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

It opens in a London pub, where Rodrigo is besotted by a boy who "looks like an angel on the walls of Versailles".

From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026

The dread comes from fears of a reinterpretation of John Galsworthy’s Nobel Prize-winning books, collectively known as “The Forsyte Saga,” to suit an audience besotted with “Bridgerton” and other sensual period adaptations.

From Salon ● Mar. 28, 2026

Or he doesn’t really love her: he’s besotted by her.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood

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