daft

IPA/dɑːft/
KK[dˈæft]IPA/dæft/

daft — adjective

  • daftpositive
  • daftercomparative
  • daftestsuperlative

1. acting or speaking with poor judgement, often with a playful quality that makes

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

acting or speaking with poor judgement, often with a playful quality that makes others smile

Example

Hui felt daft after realising he had put his shirt on inside out.

Maja wore a daft hat shaped like a pineapple to the family picnic.

collocation: daft hat / daft + clothing item

Common collocations
  • daft idea
  • daft plan
  • daft question
  • daft hat
  • sound daft
  • a bit daft
Synonyms
  • silly

    more common and less regional; carries no British association

  • foolish

    more formal, focusing on poor judgement rather than playfulness

  • stupid

    stronger and harsher, often implies lack of intelligence rather than a harmless mistake

  • ridiculous

    describes things so unreasonable they provoke disbelief, not just amusement

Antonyms
  • sensible

    showing good judgement and practical thinking

  • clever

    quick to understand and make good decisions

Grammar Patterns

a daft + noun

it is daft + to-infinitive

Usage Note

Common throughout the UK; rarely used in American English, where 'silly' or 'dumb' serves the same role. This is the dominant sense of 'daft' in everyday British speech.

Common Mistakes

He made a draft decision.
He made a daft decision.
'draft' means a preliminary version; 'daft' means foolish.

2. not in control of your thoughts or actions, in a way that makes other people wor

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

not in control of your thoughts or actions, in a way that makes other people worry about your mental state

Example

Harper thought the old cottage was haunted and worried she was going daft.

collocation: going daft

Mira felt she was going daft after the baby cried for three nights straight.

Common collocations
  • go daft
  • drive someone daft
  • gone daft
Synonyms
  • crazy

    more widely used across English varieties; less British-specific

  • mad

    close equivalent in British informal speech, but can also mean 'angry' in American English

  • insane

    more clinical or emphatic; less casual than 'daft'

Antonyms
  • sane

    in good mental health; clear-headed

  • rational

    thinking clearly and making decisions based on reason

Grammar Patterns

go daft

drive someone daft

Usage Note

This sense is strong and can give offence if used about someone with a genuine mental health condition. It remains common in northern English and Scottish dialect, often in the phrases 'go daft' and 'drive someone daft.'

Common Mistakes

My uncle has schizophrenia; he's a bit daft.
My uncle has schizophrenia; he needs medical support.
'daft' in this sense is informal and can sound dismissive about serious mental illness.

Word family

  • daftly
    adverbC2
  • daftness
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Silly is the most everyday word and suggests a playful lack of seriousness — a child's silly joke. Foolish is slightly more formal and points to poor judgement, as in a foolish financial decision. Stupid is stronger and harsher, implying a real lack of intelligence. Daft is the most informal of this group and is distinctly British — it softens criticism with warmth, so 'don't be daft' sounds gentler than 'don't be stupid.' Ridiculous describes something so unreasonable it provokes laughter or disbelief, but it lacks the regional, affectionate tone of daft.

silly ↗foolish ↗stupid ↗ridiculous ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

  • a bit daft
  • completely daft
  • rather daft
  • plain daft

Phrases

  • daft as a brush

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Daft comes from Old English gedæfte, meaning 'mild, gentle, meek.' By Middle English, the meaning had shifted through 'dull, uncouth, wanting in intelligence' to the modern senses of foolish and mad. The Proto-Germanic root daftiz meant 'fitting, suitable.' The shift from 'fitting' to 'dull' to 'silly' parallels the journey of the word 'silly' itself, which once meant 'blessed, innocent' before acquiring its current meaning.

First known use

14th century

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1