doughty
adjective
steadfastly courageous and resolute; valiant.
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doughty
1 American
[dau-tee]
/ ˈdaʊ ti /
adjective
doughtier,
doughtiest
Doughty
2
American
[dau-tee]
/ ˈdaʊ ti /
noun
Doughty
1
British
/ ˈdaʊtɪ /
noun
doughty
2
British
/ ˈdaʊtɪ /
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of doughty
before 1000; Middle English; Old English dohtig worthy, equivalent to *doht worth (cognate with Old High German toht; see dow, -th 1) + -ig -y 1; replacing Old English dyhtig, cognate with German tüchtig
Explanation
Someone who's doughty is brave and determined, like a doughty knight who fearlessly rides off to slay a terrifying giant. At first glance, you might confuse doughty with doughy, but the two words are quite different in meaning. Doughy things are soft and squishy, like unbaked bread. A doughty person is valiant and steadfast — like a doughty explorer who braves wild jungles and piranha-infested rivers in order to find the ruins of an ancient city. The word is derived from a root that means "strong."
Vocabulary lists containing doughty
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.
See Examples For:
Young readers will cheer for the doughty girl, who braves the razored depths to haul the baby dragon to safety in this satisfying, sumptuously illustrated fable translated from the French by Alyson Waters.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2025
A combination of a fast start, a couple of glitchy kicks from Jalibert, some doughty defence and a readiness to go toe-to-toe with Bordeaux for ambition bought them parity.
From BBC ● May 24, 2025
All of that adds — you might say operatically — welcome glamour to the otherwise doughty Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, which is in desperate need of renovation.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2023
His doughty performance, punctuated by that final dash to victory, spoke the loudest.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 29, 2023
"Ser Vardis is a doughty fighter. He will make short work of the sellsword."
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
"The dads will come in and say my son doesn't dance, he doesn't want to do ballet," Doughty said.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
“I didn’t think we played poorly. And I know we’ve lost three now,” Doughty said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
In the dressing room, the Kings have given Kopitar’s crown to defenseman Drew Doughty, who will take over as captain in his 19th NHL season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026
The spokesperson said the family of the Foremans met with Minister of the Middle East Stephen Doughty, alongside consular detention's envoy Alistair Burt, on 5 August.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
Pekka Rollins tucked a wad of jurda into his cheek and leaned back in his chair to survey the raggedy crew Doughty had brought to his office.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
But then that doughtier, more familiar English trait—worldly scepticism—must and will reassert itself.
From Economist ● Jun. 24, 2016
Rugby union has known few doughtier competitors than the All Black captain and, should he become the first person to guide his side to two consecutive World Cup triumphs, it will merely underline that fact.
From The Guardian ● Oct. 29, 2015
The 24-year-old was outstanding in dry, firm conditions against Scotland at the start of the Six Nations but England preferred the doughtier Brad Barritt at inside centre in the latter half of the campaign.
From The Guardian ● Apr. 29, 2013
But I'm afraid the task would take a doughtier woodswoman than me.
From The Guardian ● Jun. 19, 2012
We all sit round a primitive form of the Round Table, and I doubt that King Arthur's knights ever proved doughtier trenchermen than do my companions.
From First Footsteps in East Africa by Sir Richard Francis Burton
“Turn Around Time” offers no pat answers, and occasionally wanders into thickets of philosophical conjecture and opaque references that may stymie all but the doughtiest of readers.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 11, 2019
Only Munster, who face Biarritz today, now stand in the way of an all-French finale in Paris but even the doughtiest Celtic warrior can sense trouble brewing.
From The Guardian ● May 1, 2010
Even their doughtiest opponents had privately conceded a Liberal victory.
From Time Magazine Archive
The doughtiest people in the publishing business are those who put out avant-garde literary magazines; they seldom make a profit and rarely reach more than 5,000 readers.
From Time Magazine Archive
Not the doughtiest soldier of old Gondor, nor the most savage Orc entrapped, had ever thus endured her, or set blade to her beloved flesh.
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
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