Besotted means extremely infatuated, obsessed with, doting. Originally, besotted meant intoxicated or drunk, it was a past participle of the verb besot. Eventually, besotted became an adjective, and the verb form of besot fell out of use. Today, besotted indicates someone so infatuated or obsessed with someone or something that they are nearly insensible, as if drunk. Besotted carries the connotation of being foolish, of allowing something or someone to influence one’s affections and attention too much.
Examples
The schoolgirl in the Adam Johnson sex case was so besotted she had photos of him all over her social media accounts. (The Mirror)
In Kristiania, as Oslo was then known, a radical bohemian scene besotted with Nietzsche cultivated Munch’s precocious genius, but its advocacy of free love ill-served his sanity. (The New Yorker)
De Keersmaeker became besotted by the track “Golden Hours”, which she plays on a loop for the first 20 minutes. (The Financial Times)
“They’re back together and Drake is totally besotted,” a source told The Sun. (The International Business Times)
But, like poor besotted Kenji, I wanted to keep watching anyway, right to the end of this baffling, entrancing, ultimately wise film. (The Japan Times)
It’s not the most adventurous choice for a girl who has grown up around crocodiles, tigers, snakes and koala’s, but she’s clearly besotted. (The New Zealand Herald)
This gothic adaptation of the classic fairytale had audiences besotted when it last played Bristol’s Hippodrome three years ago. (The Bristol Post)
Raima Sen as Imli, the spunky and effervescent sex-worker who is besotted with Mumbai, dreams big and wants to be seen on screen, is endearing. (The Business Standard)