Synonyms

doting

American

[doh-ting] / ˈdoʊ tɪŋ /

adjective

excessively fond.

doting parents.
showing a decline of mental faculties, especially associated with old age; weak-minded; senile.

Other Word Forms

dotingly adverb
dotingness noun
undoting adjective

Etymology

Origin of doting

First recorded in 1480–90; dote + -ing ²

Explanation

Someone who's doting is loving and fond, and tends to spoil you terribly. Your doting grandmother, for example, might shower you with gifts even when it's not your birthday. If someone you know adores you beyond all reason, only seeing your good points and completely disregarding your faults, they're doting. Your doting uncle might offer to fly you to Disney World for spring break, and your doting older sister might wake up early to make your favorite breakfast when you visit her. The earliest meaning of dote was "be feeble-minded from old age," and by the 15th century it came to mean "be loving or infatuated."

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Vocabulary lists containing doting

Matilda

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The Odyssey

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Grown

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He didn’t even mention Artemis in his most recent State of the Union speech, instead doting on the U.S.

From Salon • Apr. 7, 2026

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 • Mar. 3, 2026

Martin, from Woodford Green, east London, was described in court as a "doting and loving grandmother" who had mobility issues that left her with a limp.

From BBC • Feb. 19, 2026

She softens the character’s steely edges, turning a proud and almost rapacious woman into a mere doting mom.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026

“Poor Fredrick! He is such a doting and perfect husband in every conceivable way, but now and then his temper becomes quite excitable.”

From "The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling" by Maryrose Wood

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023