What does besotting mean?
"Besotting" is the present participle and gerund of the verb "besot," meaning to make someone foolishly infatuated or to dull their mind, whether through love, drink, or obsessive devotion. A person besotted by romance or flattery has lost their usual good sense, seeing only what their infatuation allows them to see. The word derives from "sot," an old term for a fool or drunkard, so to besot someone is, quite literally, to make a fool of them through passion. Today the word survives chiefly in literary contexts and in its adjective form "besotted" (as in "besotted with her"), while "besotting" itself appears mostly in formal or elevated prose describing the bewitching effect of beauty, charm, alcohol, or obsession. Its connotations are strongly negative: it implies blindness, excess, and impaired judgment rather than simple fondness, making it a vivid choice when a writer wants to convey infatuation as a kind of enchantment that robs a person of reason.
Present participle of besot: making someone foolishly infatuated or stupefied, especially with love, drink, or admiration.
"The poet wrote of beauty besotting even the wisest of men."
Chiefly literary; usually found in the passive-derived form "besotted with" in modern usage.
The act or process of rendering someone foolishly infatuated.
"He blamed his besotting on her laughter, not her looks."
Rare; used mainly in formal or literary prose.
To besot someone is literally to make them a 'sot' — a fool — which is why besotted lovers are, by etymology, fools for love.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of besotting
"Besotting" comes from the verb "besot," formed in Middle or early Modern English by adding the prefix "be-" to "sot," an old English word for a fool or habitual drunkard ultimately connected to the Old French "sot" (fool). The prefix intensifies the base verb, giving it the sense of thoroughly reducing someone to foolishness, whether through drink or infatuation. The related adjective "sottish," meaning stupid or drunkenly foolish, shares this same root.
Related word forms
How besotting is actually used
Literary and somewhat archaic in register; far more common today in its adjectival participle form "besotted" (as in "besotted with") than in the active gerund/participle "besotting." Carries connotations of irrationality and loss of judgment rather than mere affection.
Easily confused with besotting
"Besought" is the past tense of beseech, meaning earnestly begged or requested, while "besotting" means making someone foolishly infatuated.