Doltish

/ˈdoʊltɪʃ/ adjective

Definition

Stupid, foolish, or lacking intelligence; characteristic of a dolt or showing doltishness.

Etymology

Formed by adding the adjective-forming suffix '-ish' (from Old English '-isc') to 'dolt'. The '-ish' suffix creates adjectives meaning 'having the quality of' or 'somewhat like'.

Kelly Says

The '-ish' suffix is wonderfully flexible in English—you can add it to almost any noun to make it an adjective, which is why calling someone 'doltish' sounds way less harsh than 'a dolt,' even though it means basically the same thing.

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