doughty en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ˈdaʊti/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- [ˈdʌʊ̯ɾi] Canada, Canadian raising
- /ˈdaʊti/ (General-American)
- (UK) audio
- [-ɾi] (General-American)
Etymology
The adjective is derived from Middle English doughty (“brave, bold, valiant”), from Old English dohtiġ, dyhtiġ (“competent, good, strong, valiant”), from Proto-West Germanic *duhtīg. The English word may be analysed as dought + -y, and is cognate with Scots douchty, douchtie (“bold, valiant”), Dutch duchtig (“severe, strict”), German tüchtig (“capable, competent, efficient; big; hard”), Danish dygtig (“virtuous, proficient”), Swedish duktig (“efficient; good; capable, clever, smart”), Icelandic dygðugur (“virtuous, stable”). The noun is derived from the adjective.
Meanings
-
(archaic, literary) Bold; brave, courageous.
Hurriedly he snatched up others, one or two at a time, until he had slaughtered thirty of Hrothgar's doughtiest earls.
1961, Norma Lorre Goodrich, “Beowulf”, in The Medieval Myths, New York: The New American Library, page 21:[S]he [Edwina, mother of Tennessee Williams] was indeed Amanda [Wingfield, character in Williams's play The Glass Menagerie] in the flesh: a doughty chatterbox from Ohio who adopted the manner of a Southern belle and eschewed both drink and sex to the greatest extent possible.
2014 November 14, Blake Bailey, “‘Tennessee Williams,’ by John Lahr [print version: Theatrical victory of art over life, International New York Times, 18 November 2014, page 13]”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 21 Aug 2019:
-
(archaic, literary) Robust, sturdy; strong and perhaps stout.
Aye, here's a ship of doughty build and strong: But not for lads like you to sail to port.
1937, Edward Mellor Jameson, Charterhouse:Her remark invited a deeper look into her face, which seemed to flicker between that of a puckish, energetic man and a rather doughty, sturdy-looking woman.
1997 December 22, Sarah Boxer, “At Dinner With: Jan Morris; Writer With a Favorite Theme: Reconciliation of Opposites”, in New York Times:The experience was something like going before the Daughters of the American Revolution and advocating communism; but then, doughty matronly bosoms always intimidate me.
1964, Japan Quarterly:One can imagine the enthusiasm with which this young man in his thirties, and not the fat and doughty Quakerish-looking gentleman usually portrayed in the popular picture of Penn as Proprietor, must have entered upon this great adventure.
1956, Sylvester Kirby Stevens, Pennsylvania, The Keystone State:
- (uncommon) Catachresis for dowdy.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| doughtier | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| more doughty | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| doughtiest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| doubty | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic | |
| most doughty | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Antonyms
yellow-bellied · craven · invalorous · lily-livered · wimpish · white-livered · nerveless · poltroonish · backboneless · cowardly · unhearty · caitiff · liver-faced · poor-spirited · retromingent · soft · gizzardless · fraidy · chicken · nithing · yellow · candy-assed · cowhearted · timid · niddering · spineless · fainthearted · heartless · punk · invertebrate · hen-hearted · miching · liver-hearted · pusillanimous · boneless · dastard · milk-livered · rabbit-hearted · ratlike · chicken-livered · sissy · kiasi · niding · dastardly · timorous · chickenshit · cringey · dickless · fearful · gutless · chicken-hearted · pigeon-livered · nutless · cravenhearted · mouse-hearted · mousy · bitch-ass · dough-faced · cowardish · nidering · base · low-hearted · weak-kneed · cowish · pussylike · courageless · milky · white-hearted · cowardy · recrayed
Deriveds
dought · doughtiness · doughtily · undoughty · doughty-handed
Relateds
Synonyms
plucky · stouthearted · daredevil · gutsy · gallant · intrepid · doughty · valiant · valorous · stouthearted · heroic · fortitudinous · dauntless · chivalrous · brass-balled · stalwart · mettlesome · fearless · venturesome · dauntless · courageous · lionhearted · daring · stalworth · adventurous · bold · fearless · undaunted · bad · valiant · unafraid · aweless · intrepid · orped · resolute
Translations (24)
it baldo (bold; brave, courageous — see also brave) · nl dapper (bold; brave, courageous — see also brave) · it coraggioso (bold; brave, courageous — see also brave) · ru до́блестный (bold; brave, courageous — see also brave) · ru отва́жный (bold; brave, courageous — see also brave) · it intrepido (bold; brave, courageous — see also brave) · ru сме́лый (bold; brave, courageous — see also brave) · es intrépido (bold; brave, courageous — see also brave) · tr cesur (bold; brave, courageous — see also brave) · bg смел (bold; brave, courageous — see also brave) · es temerario (bold; brave, courageous — see also brave) · enm doughty (bold; brave, courageous — see also brave) · ru хра́брый (bold; brave, courageous — see also brave) · bg реши́телен (bold; brave, courageous — see also brave) · ru реши́тельный (bold; brave, courageous — see also brave) · it temerario (bold; brave, courageous — see also brave) · es intrépida (bold; brave, courageous — see also brave) · es temerario (bold; brave, courageous — see also brave) · es temeraria (bold; brave, courageous — see also brave) · it indomito (bold; brave, courageous — see also brave) · es indómito (bold; brave, courageous — see also brave) · ota قوچاق (bold; brave, courageous — see also brave) · es indómita (bold; brave, courageous — see also brave) · it ardito (bold; brave, courageous — see also brave)