What does besotted mean?
Besotted is an adjective describing an intense, often irrational infatuation with someone or something. A person who is besotted is so captivated—typically by a romantic interest, but also by a hobby, celebrity, or idea—that their judgment appears clouded. The word almost always takes the preposition 'with', as in 'besotted with his business partner'. It carries a connotation of excess and mild folly: to be besotted suggests not merely fondness but a doting, half-blind devotion that others may find excessive or unwise. The word derives from the verb 'besot', formed from 'sot', an old term for a habitual drunkard, so its earliest meaning referred to being stupefied as if by drink—a metaphor that survives in the modern sense of love as a kind of intoxication. While somewhat literary or formal in tone, it remains common in journalism and fiction for describing infatuation with warmth or gentle irony.
Strongly infatuated or doting, often foolishly so.
"He grew besotted with the city during his first summer there."
Usually followed by 'with' or occasionally 'on'.
(Archaic) Stupefied or made dull, especially as if by drink.
"A besotted wretch who could barely string two words together."
This older sense is now rare and chiefly historical.
Besotted once meant simply 'made stupid like a drunk' — falling head over heels in love was literally seen as a form of intoxication of the mind.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of besotted
Besotted comes from the verb 'besot', formed in English from the prefix 'be-' plus 'sot', a Middle English word for a drunkard derived from Old French 'sot' meaning fool. Originally it meant to make stupid or senseless, as alcohol does, appearing in English around the late sixteenth century. By the early seventeenth century the word had developed its figurative sense of being infatuated or foolishly in love, treating passion as a form of mental drunkenness. It shares its root with 'sot' and 'sottish'.
How besotted is actually used
Almost always used predicatively or attributively with the preposition 'with' or 'on' (e.g. 'besotted with'). The original sense relating to drunken stupidity is now rare and largely historical.
Easily confused with besotted
'Besought' is the past tense of 'beseech' (to beg urgently), while 'besotted' means infatuated.