daft

B2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /dæft/ UK /dɑːft/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like deft /ɛ/ vs /æ/

Freq #10362

Meanings

1

adj
Silly, foolish, or stupid (informal).

Don't be daft; you can't drive there in an hour.
2

adj
Crazy or slightly mad (informal).

You'd be daft to go swimming in this freezing water.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · silly, foolish, or stupid... silly foolishdim-witted

2 adj · crazy or slightly mad... barmy bananas

Word family

Forms dafterdaftest

Related forms deft

Simplified etymology

Daft meant “mild” or “gentle” in Old English. During the Middle Ages it shifted to lack of intelligence, and from the 16th century it could suggest madness or, in another use, playfulness.

Etymology

From Middle English dafte, defte (“gentle; having good manners; humble, modest; awkward; dull; boorish”), from Old English dæfte (“accommodating; gentle, meek, mild”), from Proto-West Germanic *daftī (“fitting, suitable”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰh₂ebʰ- (“fitting; to fit together”). Related to Old English dafnian, dafenian (“to be fitting, appropriate, or becoming”), Russian до́брый (dóbryj, “good”). Doublet of deft. Compare silly which originally meant “blessed; good, innocent; pitiful; weak”, but now means “laughable or amusing through foolishness or a foolish appearance; ment…

dafte Middle English dæfte Old English *daftī Proto-West Germanic *dʰh₂ebʰ- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Register & Style

External links

# daft

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /dæft/
**IPA (UK):** /dɑːft/
**Frequency rank:** 10362

## Meanings
1. Silly, foolish, or stupid (informal).
2. Crazy or slightly mad (informal).

## Examples
- Don't be daft; you can't drive there in an hour.
- You'd be daft to go swimming in this freezing water.

## Related Forms
- deft

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: dafte
- Root: dæfte
- Root: *daftī
- Root: *dʰh₂ebʰ-

## Etymology
From Middle English dafte, defte (“gentle; having good manners; humble, modest; awkward; dull; boorish”), from Old English dæfte (“accommodating; gentle, meek, mild”), from Proto-West Germanic *daftī (“fitting, suitable”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰh₂ebʰ- (“fitting; to fit together”). Related to Old English dafnian, dafenian (“to be fitting, appropriate, or becoming”), Russian до́брый (dóbryj, “good”). Doublet of deft. Compare silly which originally meant “blessed; good, innocent; pitiful; weak”, but now means “laughable or amusing through foolishness or a foolish appearance; ment…

## AI Etymology
daft comes from Middle English dafte, defte (“gentle; having good manners; humble, modest; awkward; dull; boorish”), from Old English dæfte (“accommodating; gentle, meek, mild”), from Proto-West Germanic *daftī (“fitting, suitable”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰh₂ebʰ- (“fitting; to fit together”). Related to Old English dafnian, dafenian (“to be fitting, appropriate, or becoming”), Russian до́брый (dóbryj, “good”). Doublet of deft. Current senses include Silly, foolish, or stupid (informal) and Crazy or slightly mad (informal). English relatives and later formations include deft.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Register & Style

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