Word forms: comparative dafter, superlative daftest
adjective
If you describe a person or their behaviour as daft, you think that they are stupid, impractical, or rather strange.
[British, informal]
He's not so daft as to listen to rumours.
I can lose a few pounds without resorting to daft diets.
Don't be daft!
More Synonyms of daft
daft in British English
(dɑːft)
adjective mainly British
1. informal
foolish or stupid
2. offensive a slang word for insane
3. informal(postpositive; foll byabout)
extremely fond (of)
4. slang
frivolous; giddy
Derived forms
daftly (ˈdaftly)
adverb
daftness (ˈdaftness)
noun
Word origin
Old English gedæfte gentle, foolish; related to Middle Low German ondaft incapable
daft in American English
(dæft)
adjective
1.
silly; foolish
2.
insane; crazy
3. Scottish
merry or frolicsome in a giddy way
Derived forms
daftly (ˈdaftly)
adverb
daftness (ˈdaftness)
noun
Word origin
ME dafte < OE (ge)dæfte, mild, gentle (for the sense development, see cretin, UNRESOLVED CROSS REF) < IE base *dhabh-, to fit > L faber, a joiner, artisan
More idioms containing
daft
daft as a brush
Examples of 'daft' in a sentence
daft
Without this unspoken accord, the entire thing is rather daft.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It was a bit daft.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
In fact I could see that putting an orange in the middle of something is actually plain daft.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
To pretend otherwise and act all hurt is plain daft.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
This good but faintly daft idea is not new.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
We want him to say daft things that make us laugh.
The Sun (2009)
When is he going to realise he looks a bit daft?
The Sun (2008)
Who was so daft as to think it was about anything else?
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The funny thing is that both of those daft ideas have come to life.
The Sun (2013)
We laugh at the daft things he did.
The Sun (2013)
The unexpected sunshine left some people looking a bit daft.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
It is daft to think you can get away with eating rubbish and not gain weight.
The Sun (2008)
Now with his daft prison ideas he is worse than a menace.
The Sun (2011)
The latter is a daft thing to say.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The storylines are a bit daft but transport you to another world.
The Sun (2013)
And daft ideas and practices receive no opposition.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
To pretend otherwise is plain daft.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The world breathed a sigh of relief and gave him a rather daft Nobel prize.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
We're absolutely ready to be silly and wear extremely daft things.
The Sun (2013)
At this stage of the campaign, removing your leading scorer is just plain daft.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
I look at my big daft name on the back wall and nervously come down the stairs.
The Sun (2010)
I just hope her daughter can forgive being lumbered with the obligatory daft showbiz name.
The Sun (2006)
But it is daft to think that you can change your habits just because you've changed your calendar.
The Sun (2009)
THIS is not the work of a band but rather a solo artist with a daft stage name.
The Sun (2010)
All over the country we are voting for the party leaders - and for reasons that are just plain daft.
The Sun (2010)
But daft names aside, it's an absolute belter.
The Sun (2015)
In other languages
daft
British English: daft /dɑːft/ ADJECTIVE
Daft means stupid and not sensible.
That's a daft question.
American English: foolish
Arabic: أَحْمَق
Brazilian Portuguese: tolo
Chinese: 愚蠢的
Croatian: budalast
Czech: pitomý
Danish: tåbelig
Dutch: dwaas
European Spanish: bobo
Finnish: typerä
French: bête
German: blöd
Greek: κουτός
Italian: sciocco
Japanese: ばかな
Korean: 어리석은
Norwegian: fjollet
Polish: głupi
European Portuguese: tolo
Romanian: nebun
Russian: глупый
Latin American Spanish: bobo
Swedish: fånig
Thai: โง่
Turkish: saf
Ukrainian: дурний
Vietnamese: ngớ ngẩn
Chinese translation of 'daft'
daft
(dɑːft) (Brit) (inf)
adj
(= silly) 傻的 (shǎ de)
to be daft about sb/sth酷爱(愛)某人/某事 (kùài mǒurén/mǒushì)
1 (adjective)
Definition
foolish or crazy
I wasn't so daft as to believe him.
Synonyms
stupid
I wouldn't call it art. It's just stupid and tasteless.
You won't go and do anything stupid, will you?
simple
He's no fool, though perhaps a bit simple in some ways.
crazy (informal)
I know it sounds a crazy idea, but hear me out.
silly
That's a silly thing to say.
absurd
They go to absurd lengths just to avoid paying a few pounds.
foolish
How foolish I was not to have seen my doctor earlier.
irrational
an irrational fear of science
unwise
It would be unwise to expect too much.
senseless
acts of senseless violence
giddy
infantile
goofy
foolhardy
idiotic
What an idiotic thing to say!
inane
He always had this inane grin.
fatuous
That is not a fatuous argument, it has to be taken seriously.
loopy (informal)
witless
a witless piece of planning
crackpot (informal)
out to lunch (informal)
dopey (informal)
I was so dopey I believed him.
puerile
puerile schoolboy humour
imprudent
scatty (British, informal)
asinine
I have never heard such an asinine discussion.
gonzo (slang)
imbecilic
doolally (slang)
off your head (informal)
off your trolley (slang)
up the pole (informal)
dumb-ass (slang)
wacko or whacko (slang, old-fashioned)
off the air (Australian, slang)
2 (adjective)
Definition
foolish or crazy
Now there's a daft suggestion!
Synonyms
ridiculous
It was an absolutely ridiculous decision.
foolish
impractical
With regularly scheduled airlines, sea travel became impractical.
ludicrous
It's a completely ludicrous idea.
pointless
unrealistic
their unrealistic expectations of parenthood
unreasonable
unwise
preposterous
The whole idea was preposterous.
laughable
She claimed that the allegations were `laughable'.
farcical
a farcical nine months' jail sentence
illogical
unworkable
foolhardy
nonsensical
It seemed to me that Sir Robert's arguments were nonsensical.
half-baked (informal)
another half-baked scheme that isn't going to work
fatuous
risible (formal)
His claim is risible for its patent untruth.
ill-conceived
impracticable
hare-brained
dumb-ass (slang)
cockamamie (slang, mainly US)
phrase
See daft about
Additional synonyms
in the sense of absurd
Definition
obviously senseless or illogical
They go to absurd lengths just to avoid paying a few pounds.