doddering

American  

[dod-er-ing] / ˈdɒd ər ɪŋ /

Also doddery

adjective

1. shaky or trembling, as from old age; tottering.

   a doddering old man.

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doddering British  

/ ˈdɒdərɪŋ /

adjective

1. shaky, feeble, or infirm, esp from old age

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Etymology

Origin of doddering

First recorded in 1735–45; dodder ¹ + -ing ²

Explanation

Doddering means "physically or mentally impaired due to old age," like a doddering person who can no longer live alone without assistance from family members or a visiting nurse. The adjective doddering comes from the Middle English word daderen "to quake, tremble." That shakiness, in movement and even in thoughts, is one quality of doddering people. It is important to be patient with those who are doddering, because like the word sounds, they are trying to still be mobile, still be part of the world around them, even if they feel more shaky as they get older.

Example Sentences

The interview is utterly anodyne, a doddering exchange of pleasantries and carefully selected humanizing anecdotes.

From Slate • Dec. 18, 2025

Offstage, he was a doddering, stammering dad shuffling around rooms bustling with yapping tiny dogs urinating everywhere.

From Salon • Jul. 24, 2025

Some aides, according to Axios, wish Mr. Biden would more often show this side of him to counter concerns that the 80-year-old is too doddering for office amid frequent oral gaffes.

From Washington Times • Jul. 11, 2023

Whether Arkel is wise or a doddering old fool is a matter of question, which the veteran Italian bass Ferruccio Furlanetto answers with a loud affirmation of the latter.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 29, 2023

One afternoon in early April, Smith and Howard discovered Grog, Seabiscuit’s old stable pal in the Fitzsimmons barn, doddering along in a claiming race at Tanforan.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand