daft
Americanadjective
-
senseless, stupid, or foolish.
-
insane; crazy.
-
Scot. merry; playful; frolicsome.
adjective
-
informal foolish, simple, or stupid
-
a slang word for insane
-
informal extremely fond (of)
-
slang frivolous; giddy
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of daft
before 1000; Middle English dafte uncouth, awkward; earlier, gentle, meek, Old English dæfte; cf. deft
Explanation
Daft means "foolish, wacky, or nutty." like your daft idea of wearing flip-flops to hike through the snow so that you didn't ruin your boots. When the adjective daft is used, you know something extremely silly or obviously goofy is involved — like setting all your money on fire to keep warm, instead of just using it to buy a coat. Some synonyms for daft are absurd, ridiculous, senseless and idiotic, so if someone calls you "daft," maybe you should rethink what you are trying to accomplish: Is there a better way to do it?
Vocabulary lists containing daft
The Crucible
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from all 4 Acts
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from Act 2
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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 know how loved this unbelievably daft farty brilliant dog was and I adored sharing him with everyone on here," the radio presenter wrote.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
Where do you suppose he got such daft and dangerous ideas?
From Salon ● May 11, 2026
Citadel in 2022 moved its headquarters from Chicago to Miami, but it still maintains a large New York presence—which made it a daft target to pick.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026
Just how daft was made clearer by this week’s response from Mr. Griffin.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026
“Is that what your daft uncle did?” asked Duane, genuinely curious.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
Maybe you think it could be longer, louder, downright dafter?
From New York Times ● Dec. 28, 2022
While Skins managed to stay considerably ace, the plot lines also got darker and, eventually, dafter.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 26, 2019
The German winger took all available advantage of Jansen’s clumsy lunge; a hint of moral turpitude in the ease with which he went over, perhaps, but the challenge was dafter than the dive was saucy.
From The Guardian ● Jun. 11, 2014
Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories Totally undanceable, dafter than ever—and a wire-to-wire triumph.
From Slate ● May 21, 2013
What could be dafter Than John Skelton's laughter?
From Fairies and Fusiliers by Robert Graves
"It was one of the daftest decisions in boxing. I'll be back."
From BBC ● May 18, 2024
"It's one of the daftest mistakes of my life," he says.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2012
Only today a list of Britain's 10 daftest health and safety rulings revealed that Butlins prohibited dodgems from hitting each other, school sack races have ben banned, as has kite flying on the beach.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 24, 2011
And its final shot, as well as failing to resolve any of the hinted-at emotional problems, really is one of the daftest things I have seen for a long time.
From The Guardian ● Dec. 9, 2010
The other dog is the drollest, daftest, wildest little rascal you could conceive.
From Shireen and her Friends Pages from the Life of a Persian Cat by Gordon Stables
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.
