What does dollish mean?
Dollish means foolish, stupid, or lacking sound judgment. It is an adjective that can describe a person, action, plan, or idea, often with the implication that the foolishness is conspicuous, misguided, or avoidable. In ordinary contemporary speech, most speakers would choose “foolish,” “silly,” “unwise,” or “stupid,” depending on tone and degree of criticism. Dollish survives mainly in older writing and in deliberately traditional or literary language, where its bluntness gives it a somewhat emphatic quality. The word is formed from “dolt,” an older term for a foolish person, together with the suffix “-ish.” Although its meaning is straightforward, the term now belongs to a deliberately old-fashioned vocabulary and should be used with awareness of its dated register rather than as a neutral general-purpose synonym.
adjectiveFoolish or stupid; lacking good sense or judgment.
- Foolish or stupid, especially in a way that suggests poor judgment or a lack of common sense.
"The committee dismissed the plan as dollish rather than considering its practical merits."
"His dollish attempt to repair the machine made the damage worse."
"The novel portrays the family's decision as stubborn, dollish, and ultimately disastrous."
Dollish is a blunt, old-fashioned label for conduct that mistakes confidence for cleverness.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does dollish come from?
Dollish was formed in English by adding the adjective-forming suffix “-ish” to “dolt,” a word meaning a foolish or stupid person. The compound follows a familiar English pattern in which “-ish” creates an adjective with a broad, often slightly indefinite meaning. Its close relative “doltish” uses the same base and suffix pattern and is more familiar in modern usage.
Related word forms
How dollish is actually used
Dollish is archaic and literary rather than part of everyday modern English. It can sound deliberately dismissive or old-fashioned and may be unsuitable in neutral or polite contexts.
Easily confused with dollish
Both words mean foolish, but dollish is rare and dated, whereas doltish is the more common and readily understood choice.