as in silly
showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment
dotty relatives that we have to endure only on Thanksgiving
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Recent Examples of dotty
Things got even dottier from there: Another eight names were added to a growing list of scientists who have recently either died or gone missing.
—
Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 22 Apr. 2026
People wanted to wear clothes at the cutting edge, which gave dotty fabrics woven by machine a natural fanbase among the society ladies who could afford them.
—Natalie Hammond, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2025
Jones, Redgrave, and an unrecognizable Margot Kidder as their dotty landlady bravely expose their vulnerability.
—Armond White, National Review, 25 June 2025
This set by Studio Bloom takes two breakout shades of the year — butter yellow and mocha mousse — and elevates them for the season ahead with a dotty design.
—Mica Ricketts, Refinery29, 9 May 2025
Now, one of the largest celebrations of Kusama’s dotty world will debut at Melbourne’s National Gallery of Victoria (NGV).
—Mae Hamilton, Travel + Leisure, 9 Dec. 2024
Joanne and Morgan’s dotty mother, Lynn (Stephanie Faracy), dabbles in the metaphysical to constant mockery; their gay father, Henry (Michael Hitchcock), is rarely able to enjoy his own happiness.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2024
Smith starred as Joyce Chilvers, a small-town social climber in postwar Northern England whose hunger to be accepted by the elite locals isn’t helped by her dotty mother nor her underachieving podiatrist husband Gilbert, played by Michael Palin.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Sep. 2024
Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 22 Apr. 2026
People wanted to wear clothes at the cutting edge, which gave dotty fabrics woven by machine a natural fanbase among the society ladies who could afford them.
—Natalie Hammond, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2025
Jones, Redgrave, and an unrecognizable Margot Kidder as their dotty landlady bravely expose their vulnerability.
—Armond White, National Review, 25 June 2025
This set by Studio Bloom takes two breakout shades of the year — butter yellow and mocha mousse — and elevates them for the season ahead with a dotty design.
—Mica Ricketts, Refinery29, 9 May 2025
Now, one of the largest celebrations of Kusama’s dotty world will debut at Melbourne’s National Gallery of Victoria (NGV).
—Mae Hamilton, Travel + Leisure, 9 Dec. 2024
Joanne and Morgan’s dotty mother, Lynn (Stephanie Faracy), dabbles in the metaphysical to constant mockery; their gay father, Henry (Michael Hitchcock), is rarely able to enjoy his own happiness.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2024
Smith starred as Joyce Chilvers, a small-town social climber in postwar Northern England whose hunger to be accepted by the elite locals isn’t helped by her dotty mother nor her underachieving podiatrist husband Gilbert, played by Michael Palin.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Sep. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dotty
Adjective
-
Otherwise, those bobbleheads will look a little silly.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
8 May 2026
-
If that strikes you as twee or downright silly, Olivia Newman‘s touchy-feely weepie is not on your wavelength.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran — theyr’e not stupid.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
3 May 2026
-
That was celebrated by the lefties as liberation, or something stupid like that.—
Joe Kinsey OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
When a Republican says something foolish, network anchors react like a gator just crawled into the studio wearing a MAGA hat.—
Larry Clifton,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 May 2026
-
If Florida is worried about China’s rise, dismantling educational and cultural exchanges is a foolish response.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
These mad scientists then trained a small flock of sheep to recognize four celebrities—Emma Watson, Barack Obama, Jake Gyllenhaal, and the BBC newsreader Fiona Bruce—from their pictures on the internet.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
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While Sharpe’s casting was inevitably, and depressingly, dismissed as another sign of wokeism gone mad, the half-Japanese/half-British actor ultimately brings something new to the table.—
Jon O'Brien,
IndieWire,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
Each progressive Trolls movie has gotten more and more insane.—
Marah Eakin,
Vulture,
7 May 2026
-
To have air traffic controllers or the Transportation Security Administration to go without pay is insane and prejudicial to public safety.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
That’s easier to accomplish the further the plot moves away from a diplomatic incident involving several national institutions and toward an occasionally absurd — but absorbing and well-paced — tale of individuals in over their heads.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
8 May 2026
-
The attempt by right-wing activists to use the collapse of Spirit Airlines as a cudgel against the Democrats is ironic and absurd.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost play a pair of ordinary police officers who get sucked into a crazy case involving multiple murders in their small English town.—
Brian Tallerico,
Vulture,
11 May 2026
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That’s despite reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander not putting up his typical crazy numbers.—
Geoff Clark OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
Think of the costs of an idiotic war that could have covered universal child care and college tuitions.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
6 May 2026
-
The biggest is Theroux’s overly tanned and idiotic tech billionaire Benji Barnes, who is dating Emily (Emily Blunt) after recently divorcing his cool wife Sasha Barnes (Lucy Liu) and leaving her with billions.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dotty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dotty. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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