doughty

From Middle English doughty, from Old English dohtiġ, dyhtiġ (“good, competent, valiant, doughty, strong”), from Proto-Germanic *duhtiz (“note, usefulness”) + Proto-Germanic *-igaz (suffix). Equivalent to dought +‎ -y. Cognate with Scots douchty, douchtie (“bold, valiant”), Dutch duchtig (“severe, strict”), German tüchtig (“efficient, capable, hard, competent, big”), Danish dygtig (“virtuous, proficient”), Swedish duktig (“good, efficient, clever, capable, smart”), Icelandic dygðugur (“virtuous, stable”).

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /ˈdaʊ.ti/
• (Canada) IPA^(key): [ˈdʌʊ̯ɾi] (Canadian raising)
• Rhymes: -aʊti

doughty (comparative doughtier or more doughty, superlative doughtiest or most doughty)

1. Brave; bold; courageous; valiant; intrepid; stouthearted; fearless.
   • 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, p. 13]”, in The New York Times‎:

     [S]he [Edwina, mother of Tennessee Williams] was indeed Amanda [Wingfield, character in Williams' 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.

2. Hardy; strenuous; dauntless; resolute.

• doughtily
• doughtiness
• doughty-handed