daft

[ daft, dahft ]

/ dæft, dɑft /

adjective, daft·er, daft·est.

senseless, stupid, or foolish.

insane; crazy.

Scot. merry; playful; frolicsome.

Nearby words

Origin of daft

before 1000; Middle English dafte uncouth, awkward; earlier, gentle, meek, Old English dæfte; cf. deft

Related formsdaft·ly, adverbdaft·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for daftly

"I'm none so daft as daftly dealt with, mother," interrupted the blacksmith.
The Shadow of a Crime|Hall Caine
He daftly pulled half-a-dozen tickets from his stock and permitted me to inspect them.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 146, March 4th 1914|Various

British Dictionary definitions for daftly

daft

/ (dɑːft) /

adjective mainly British

informal foolish, simple, or stupid

a slang word for insane

informal (postpositive foll by about) extremely fond (of)

slang frivolous; giddy

Derived Formsdaftly, adverbdaftness, noun

Word Origin for daft

Old English gedæfte gentle, foolish; related to Middle Low German ondaft incapable

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

Word Origin and History for daftly

daft

adj.

Old English gedæfte "gentle, becoming," from Proto-Germanic *gadaftjaz (cf. Old English daeftan "to put in order, arrange," gedafen "suitable;" Gothic gadaban "to be fit"), from PIE *dhabh- "to fit together." Sense progression from "mild" (c.1200) to "dull" (c.1300) to "foolish" (mid-15c.) to "crazy" (1530s) probably was influenced by analogy with daffe "halfwit."