dotard

[doh-terd]

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noun

a person, especially an old person, exhibiting a decline in mental faculties; a weak-minded or foolish old person.

doater².

Origin of dotard

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at dote, -ard

Related formsdo·tard·ly, adverb

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

Related Words for dotard

wimp, tottering, faltering, floundering, trembling, coward, misfit, crybaby, baby, chicken, pushover, invertebrate, dotard, jellyfish, square, fogy, stick-in-the-mud, granny, fusspot, decrepit

British Dictionary definitions for dotard

dotard

noun

a person who is weak-minded, esp through senility

Derived Formsdotardly, adjective

Word Origin for dotard

C14: from dote + -ard

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 dotard

"imbecile," late 14c., from dote + -ard.