doat
An elderly man begins to doat, forgetting where he placed his reading glasses.
Definition
- Verb:
- To be mentally weak or foolish, especially due to old age: "doat" refers to a state of senility or mental decline, often associated with aging.
- To be excessively fond or infatuated: "doat" also means to love or admire someone or something to an extreme, often irrational, degree. This meaning is typically followed by the preposition "on" or "upon."
Usage Examples
To be mentally weak:
- The old man began to doat in his later years, forgetting simple things. (He became senile and confused due to old age.)
To be excessively fond:
- She doats on her grandchildren, spoiling them with gifts. (She loves them excessively and shows it through indulgence.)
- He doats upon his new puppy, spending all his time with it. (He is infatuated with the puppy and cannot stop caring for it.)
Advanced Usage
- "to doat on/upon": to show excessive love or admiration for someone or something.
- The mother doated on her only child, rarely letting him out of her sight. (She was overly protective and affectionate.)
Variants and Related Words
Doting (adj): showing excessive love or fondness.
- The doting father praised his daughter's every achievement. (He was overly affectionate and admiring.)
Doter (n): a person who doats.
- She was known as a doter of cats, owning over a dozen. (She was excessively fond of cats.)
Synonyms
- Adore: to love deeply and respect highly.
- Idolize: to admire or revere excessively.
- Dote: a common variant spelling of "doat."
- Fawn: to show exaggerated affection or flattery.
Phrasal Verbs
- Doat on/upon: to be excessively fond of.
- She doats upon her garden, watering it every morning. (She cares for it with extreme devotion.)
Related Idioms
- Dote on someone like a fool: to love someone so much that it seems irrational.
- He doats on his wife like a fool, buying her anything she wants. (He loves her excessively, without reason.)