ˈdaft, ˈdaa(ə)ft, ˈdaift, ˈdȧft adjective
( often -er/-est )
Etymology: Middle English dafte gentle, stupid; akin to Old English gedæfte mild, gentle, gedæftan to put in order, gedafen fit, suitable, gedēfe suitable, gentle, Middle English defte deft, Old Norse dafna to thrive, Gothic gadaban to happen, gadofs fitting, proper, Latin faber smith, Old Slavic dobrŭ good, Armenian darbin smith
1.
a. : silly , foolish
communicating with his friends in his own way … making daft little beckonings and esoteric signals — Osbert Sitwell
especially : foolishly fond
a man daft about women
b. : out of one's mind : mad , insane
they had given me so many instructions that I was nearly daft — Mary Lavin
in this daft confusion of inverted values, it soon becomes impossible to determine when virtue is sin and sin, moral perfection — R.K.Merton
2. Scotland : gay and frivolous : frolicsome
• daft·ly -ftlē, -li adverb
• daft·ness -f(t)nə̇s noun -es