donsie

American  

[don-see, dawn-] / ˈdɒn si, ˈdɔn- /

Or donsy

adjective

1. Midland U.S. somewhat sick, weak, or lacking in vitality; not completely well.

2. Scot. unfortunate; ill-fated; unlucky.

3. British Dialect. fastidious; neat; tidy.

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Etymology

Origin of donsie

1710–20; < Scots Gaelic donas harm, ill + -ie

Example Sentences

When first I gaed to woo my Jenny, Ye then was trotting wi' your minnie: Tho' ye was trickie, slee, an' funnie, Ye ne'er was donsie; But hamely, tawie, quiet, an' cannie, An' unco sonsie.

From Poems and Songs of Robert Burns by Burns, Robert

The Lowland Scotch has donsie, "unfortunate, stupid."—Notes and Queries, 225, September 21, 1878.

From Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction and the Drama, Vol. 1 A Revised American Edition of the Reader's Handbook by Brewer, Ebenezer Cobham

Dark, darg, task. dauner, daunder, stroll. dauty, pet. dinle, thrill. dirl, v. clatter, thrill. doless, void of energy. dominie, schoolmaster. donsie, unfortunate.

From Ringan Gilhaize or The Covenanters by Galt, John

I, for their thoughtless, careless sakes, Would here propone defences, Their donsie tricks, their black mistakes, Their failings and mischances.

From The Home Book of Verse — Volume 4 by Stevenson, Burton Egbert

When first I gaed to woo my Jenny, Ye then was trottin wi’ your minnie: Tho’ ye was trickle, slee, an’ funny, Ye ne’er was donsie: But hamely, tawie, quiet an’ cannie, An’ unco sonsie.

From The Complete Works of Robert Burns: Containing his Poems, Songs, and Correspondence. With a New Life of the Poet, and Notices, Critical and Biographical by Allan Cunningham by Burns, Robert