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

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

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026

The lawyer said Tipping was an avid outdoorsman and a doting son to both his parents.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

Deciphering whether Kim Jong Un is merely a doting father or a long-term planner is what has drawn intense debate.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026

They had trust funds, allowances, dividend checks, doting grandmas, well-connected uncles, loving families.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

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