What it means
To be besotted is to be so deeply smitten that good sense goes out the window, dizzy with love or adoration. The word comes from sot, a fool, so being besotted literally means made foolish, usually by love but also by a new baby, a puppy or a hobby. Softer and more helpless than mere fondness, it is love with the brakes off.
Usage examples
"He is absolutely besotted with the new puppy, talks about nothing else and has three hundred photos of it already."
"She's absolutely besotted with the new puppy, follows it round the flat all day long."
"He went all besotted the minute the baby grabbed his finger, proper soft about it."
"He's completely besotted with her, proper googly-eyed every time she walks in."
"Mum's besotted with that cat now, lets it sit on the good chair and everything."
Where it comes from
Besotted comes from besot, an older English verb built on sot, which meant a fool or a habitual drunk. It first carried the idea of being dulled or made stupid, often by drink. Over time it slid into the softer modern sense of being daft with love, affection, or total adoration.
Other ways to say it
Editors of this term
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