donsieadj.n.
/ˈdɒnsi/, U.S. /ˈdɔnsi/, /ˈdɑnsi/, Scottish English /ˈdɔnsɪ/ Chiefly Scottish and north dialect.
A. adj.
1. ‘Affectedly neat and trim’ (Jamieson); nice; hence saucy, restive (as a horse). ? Obsolete.
ΚΠ
1717 A. Ramsay Elegy Lucky Wood iv She was a donsie wife and clean.
1721 J. Kelly Compl. Coll. Scotish Prov. 68 (Jam.) Better rough and sonsie, than bare and donsie.
1786 R. Burns Poems & Songs (1968) I. 166 Tho' ye was trickie, slee an' funnie, Ye ne'er was donsie.
1789 D. Davidson Thoughts Seasons 56 (Jam.) Come Muse! thou donsy limmer, who dost laugh, An' claw thy hough, at bungling poets.
1892 R. O. Heslop Northumberland Words at Doncy Fat, puffed up, important, unlucky.
2. Unlucky, untoward, unfortunate. Also, poor, dreary, low-spirited; sickly, feeble (cf. dauncy adj.). Scottish, northern, and U.S. dialect.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > adversity > calamity or misfortune > [adjective]
unseelyOE
ungraciousa1387
infortunatec1390
unhappy1390
haplessa1400
mischancefula1400
unfortunedc1403
infortuneda1413
maleurousa1460
infortunable?a1475
mal-infortunedc1475
unselc1480
mischanced1488
misadventurousa1500
unhap1509
misfortunate1510
mischancya1522
unuredc1525
maleureda1529
unlucky1530
unfortunate1548
luckless1563
unluckly1564
unfortunable1567
untoward1570
unable?1572
sinister1576
unsonsy1578
disaster1584
disastereda1586
disastrous1586
unweirdedc1590
wanhappy?1590
misbefallen1591
fortuneless1596
infelicious1598
misadventured1599
improsperous1602
untoward1632
unhandsome1640
ill-fated1715
donsie?1719
swarthy1756
infelicitous1835
bad luck1872
stiff1919
spooked1937
jinxed1972
the mind > emotion > suffering > misery > [adjective]
armlyeOE
un-i-selieOE
unledeeOE
unseelyOE
armOE
wretcha1122
unselea1200
wretcheda1200
wretchlyc1200
misease?c1225
wanlichec1275
miseasyc1300
wansomea1325
simplec1330
wretchfula1382
wretchedful1382
caitiff1393
loddera1400
desolate14..
disconsolatea1425
meschant?1473
miserousc1475
miser1542
unvisited1548
tribulate1575
happiless1582
uncomforted1583
blisslessa1586
uncomfortless1598
miserablea1616
thrallfula1618
calamitous1668
tribulated1682
donsie?1719
unsolaced1796
mis1939
?1719 W. Hamilton in A. Ramsay & W. Hamilton Familiar Epist. 10 Has thou with Rosycrucians wandert? Or thro' some doncie Desart danert?
1787 R. Burns Poems (new ed.) 144 Their donsie tricks, their black mistakes, Their failings and mischances.
1789 D. Davidson Thoughts Seasons 61 (Jam.) Straight down the steep they slide wi' canny care, For fear o' donsy whirl into the stream.
1805 Lancaster (Pa.) Jrnl. 2 Oct. Citizen Lafferty must have a ‘doncy’ opinion of the cause, when he is afraid to bet even.
1835 J. D. Carrick Laird of Logan 273 Sic an unco wastrie in the way of claiths..made me a thocht donsy.
1853 Yale Literary Mag. 17 223 [She brought some letters] to my room, to keep me from feeling ‘donsy’.
1880 W. H. Patterson Gloss. Words Antrim & Down 31 Donsy, Dauncey, sick, sick-looking.
1917 J. L. Waugh Cute McCheyne 108 My faither was sawney an' donsie.
3. Dull or slow of comprehension; dunce-like.
ΚΠ
1802 J. Sibbald Chron. Sc. Poetry Gloss. Donsie, dunce-like, dull, stupid.
1822 J. Galt Sir Andrew Wylie III. xxviii. 237 Dinna heed the donsie creature.
B. n.
One slow of wit, a stupid; a dunce.
ΚΠ
1825 J. Jamieson Etymol. Dict. Sc. Lang. Suppl. (at cited word) Donsie, Doncie, a stupid lubberly fellow, Roxb.
c1826 Hogg in Wilson Noct. Ambr. in Wks. (1855) I. 213 That poor donsy.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1897; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.n.1717