doting means characterized by giving love and affection. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 77 out of 100.
doting is pronounced /ˈdəʊtɪŋ/.
Why “doting” is a great word
DOTING — [Adjective] Characterized by excessive or foolishly fond affection, often to the point of indulgence. From Middle English dotynge, equivalent to dote (meaning 'to be silly or feeble-minded, to exhibit excessive fondness') + the suffix -ing (forming the present participle/adjective). First recorded in 1480–90. Unlike “adoring,” which suggests deep, respectful reverence, or “indulgent,” which names a policy of leniency, doting describes a sentimental haze that softens judgment into mush. It is the grandparent who cannot see the mischief in a spoiled child’s face, the lavish praise heaped upon a mediocre hobbyist’s work, and the ceaseless, soft chatter to a pet who understands none of it—a love so concentrated it becomes a form of willing blindness.
Etymology
From Middle English dotynge; equivalent to dote + -ing.
adj
- Characterized by giving love and affection.“doting parents”
- Showing a decline of mental faculties, especially when it occurs in old age.
noun
- Excessive fondness; reverence.“It is out of the idolatrous dotings of the old Egyptians upon broiled ibis and roasted river horse, that you see the mummies of those creatures in their huge bake-houses the pyramids.”