dote

American  

[doht] / doʊt /

verb (used without object)

doted, doting

1. to bestow or express excessive love or fondness habitually (usually followed by on orupon ).

   They dote on their youngest daughter.

2. to show a decline of mental faculties, especially associated with old age.

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noun

1. decay of wood.

dote British  

/ dəʊt /

verb

1. to love to an excessive or foolish degree

2. to be foolish or weak-minded, esp as a result of old age

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Other Word Forms

• doter noun

Etymology

Origin of dote

1175–1225; Middle English doten “to behave foolishly, become feeble-minded”; cognate with Middle Dutch doten

Example Sentences

As a young adult, she enjoyed what appeared to be a happy marriage to Charles “Handsome Charlie” Eldredge, a doting bank cashier, before tragedy struck, and struck again.

From The Wall Street Journal

Of course, ABC would make one of its core players the gauzy focus of a post-Oscars special, doted on by many of the 22 women who came before Paul.

From Salon

Fans won’t ever know exactly why the doting parents lapsed in their watch of the eggs a month ago, though the nonprofit believes they had their reasons.

From Los Angeles Times

She said her son, who had a life-long passion for cars, was the "most loving, laid-back, sensitive man" who was a doting father to his own son.

From BBC

However, Miranda added that the doting mother had "recovered well from her ordeal".

From BBC

Related Words

• cherish