besotted

American

[bih-sot-id] / bɪˈsɒt ɪd /

adjective

infatuated or obsessed.

The besotted mom showed off pictures of her new baby.
They had one date and he was utterly besotted.
intoxicated; drunk.

We found him besotted with wine.

besotted British

/ bɪˈsɒtɪd /

adjective

stupefied with drink; intoxicated
infatuated; doting
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

besottedly adverb
besottedness noun

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.

My source remembers vividly that Mojtaba was totally besotted with the apocalypse and was also just a very shrewd, intelligent guy.

From Slate • Mar. 11, 2026

Which would concern her much more if she weren’t besotted by the newest member of the faculty.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

Fairly early in his lengthy investment career, in the mid-1960s, this thrifty son of Yorkshire, England, grew besotted with speculative small-cap stocks.

From Barron's • Dec. 31, 2025

This summer is the 20th anniversary of his U.S. debut — at 24 years old — conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and becoming irrepressibly besotted with the amphitheater.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 6, 2025

Caesar is beside himself, the Capitol audience is hysterical, shots of crowds around Panem show a country besotted with happiness.

From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023