doter
doter
Pronunciation
Phonetic Spelling
IPA: /ˈdoʊtər/
Syllable 1: doat - /doʊt/
d - /d/ (as in "dog")
oa - /oʊ/ (as in "goat" or "boat")
t - /t/ (as in "top")
Syllable 2: er - /ər/
er - /ər/ (the unstressed "schwa" sound, as in "teacher" or "winner")
Word Form Variations
Singular: doter
Plural: doters
(The word "doter" is a noun derived from the verb to dote.)
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
A person who shows excessive, foolish, or senile fondness or affection for someone or something.
Synonyms: admirer, enthusiast, fan, worshipper, dotard
Antonyms: critic, detractor, hater, cynic, faultfinder
One who is weak-minded or whose intellect is impaired, often due to old age.
Synonyms: dotard, elder (in a frail sense)
Antonyms: sage, sharp-wit, intellectual
Examples of Use
In Books: "He is no recluse, no solitary student, no dreamer about the past, no doter upon the dead and gone, no projector of the visionary, no planner of utopian pagodas." (John Henry Newman, The Idea of a University)
In Newspapers or Online Publications: "The aging patriarch, long known as a doter on his youngest child, stunned onlookers by leaving the family fortune to a distant relative instead."
In Entertainment (Film/Television): "I’m not looking for a casual fan or a simple admirer. I want a doter—someone who hangs on my every word, buys me flowers for no reason, and thinks I’m perfect even when I’m terrible."
On Online Platforms (Forums/Social Media): "My husband calls me the 'official doter' of our new puppy. I can't help it; I make her tiny meals by hand and bought her a subscription box."
In General Public Discourse: "He used to be such a strong-willed man, but in his old age, he's become a bit of a doter, letting his grandchildren get away with absolute mischief."
10 Famous Quotes Using Doter
He is no recluse, no solitary student, no dreamer about the past, no doter upon the dead and gone, no projector of the visionary, no planner of utopian pagodas. (John Henry Newman, The Idea of a University)
What should a bald fellow do with a comb, a dumb doter with a pipe, a blind man with a looking-glass, and thou with such a wife? (Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy)
The silly doter on you above, who call'd you his new-cut jewel, and his dear. (Thomas Middleton, A Trick to Catch the Old One)
Thou doter, thou art damnable to think that I did it to be praised of men. (John Bradford, Writings of John Bradford)
But this is the guise of giddy-paced times, when we are generally accounted deep-read politicians in print, and statesmen in the stocks; but in action, mere idiots, or at best but doters. (Thomas Dekker, The Gull's Hornbook)
No doter on the present, nor prophetic of the future, he forgot the past. (James Grant, The Romance of War)
He’s the worst kind of critic: a fawning doter who sees genius in every scribble the artist produces.
She is a proud doter on her grandchildren, spoiling them with affection and ignoring all the rules.
The press secretary portrayed the journalist not as an objective reporter, but as a political doter disguised as a skeptic.
Time makes a doter of the sternest man, especially when a puppy is involved.
Etymology
The word doter is just a combination of two parts:
The verb to dote
The suffix -er (which means "a person who does the action")
So, a "doter" is simply "a person who dotes." The real history is in the word dote.
The word "dote" first showed up in Middle English around the 13th century. Its original meaning was not positive. It came from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German words that meant "to be foolish," "silly," or "out of one's mind."
When it was first used in English, "to dote" meant to be senile or to act foolishly, especially due to old age. This is why "dotage" means "senility" (the period of old age marked by weakness or mental decline).
Over time, the meaning softened. People began to use "dote" to describe the kind of foolish, excessive, or irrational fondness someone might show—like the way a person "loses their mind" a little bit when they are completely infatuated. This led to the modern, more common meaning of "to dote on" someone, which is to show them excessive love and affection.
Therefore, "doter" carries both of these ideas:
Original Meaning: A "doter" (or "dotard") was an old, feeble-minded person.
Modern Meaning: A "doter" is someone who is foolishly or excessively fond of someone else.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Doter
Phrases Using "Doter"
A silly old doter
A fond doter
The family's official doter
A doter on his grandchildren
Nothing more than a foolish doter
Phrases Using the Root Word "Dote"
To dote on (or dote upon) someone
Idioms with a Similar Meaning
To spoil someone rotten
To be wrapped around someone's little finger
To think the sun shines out of someone
To be blinded by love
A doting parent
To have a soft spot for someone
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of doter from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
