MEANING
To show very strong, often indulgent, affection.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- dote on a child
- dote on someone
On the page
She doted on the nephew she saw only in summer.
Nearby words
Word forms
- Base
- dote
- Past tense
- doted
- Past participle
- doted
- Present participle
- doting
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- dote
- Present continuous
- am/is/are doting
- Present perfect
- have/has doted
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been doting
- Past
- doted
- Past continuous
- was/were doting
- Past perfect
- had doted
- Past perfect continuous
- had been doting
- Future
- will dote
- Future continuous
- will be doting
- Future perfect
- will have doted
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been doting
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: dote; dotes; doted; doted; doting Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: description, character, dialogue. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: dotes.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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