Dotard

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈdəʊ.təd/

Definitions

1. An aged individual who exhibits a decline in mental faculties or intelligence
2. A senior citizen who shows signs of diminished cognitive abilities or foolish behavior
3. An older person who shows signs of weakening intellect or judgment

Etymology: "Dotard" is built from two parts: "dote," meaning to be foolishly or excessively fond, or to show the mental decline of old age, and the suffix "-ard," which in English marks a person characterized by something, often unfavorably, as in "drunkard" or "coward." Put together, a dotard is someone whose wits have grown weak with age. The word arrived in English in Middle English, where it was formed directly from "dote" plus "-ard," so it is an English formation rather than a loan from another language. The suffix "-ard" itself came into English through Old French, which is why it appears on words that carry a slightly mocking tone. The sense has stayed remarkably stable. From the start it describes an elderly person whose mind has gone soft, and its disparaging edge has never really faded, which is why it sounds more pointed than the plain word "old man."

Synonyms: senile, fool