Love to an excessive degree (4,2) Crossword Clue
Answer: DOTE ON (6 letters)
The answer to the crossword clue "Love to an excessive degree (4,2)" with 6 letters is "DOTE ON".Dote on means to show excessive love or fondness for someone or something, often to the point of being overly indulgent. It describes a deep affection where attention and care are lavished, sometimes excessively, on the object of affection.
Why “Dote On” Fits
The clue asks for a phrase (4,2) meaning “love to an excessive degree.” The answer, DOTE ON, fits exactly:
- Love to an excessive degree: Dote on means to show extreme fondness, admiration, or affection for someone or something, often to the point of indulgence.
- Direct match: With enumeration (4,2), dote on matches the clue perfectly.
- Precise idiom: It is the recognized English phrase for excessive, often doting affection.
The idiom dote on has long been used to describe affectionate over-attachment:
- Origin and usage: From Middle English doten (“be foolish, infatuated”), the term first meant a kind of foolish love or admiration. Over time, it softened to mean loving someone dearly, sometimes excessively.
- Contexts: Often used for parents with children, pet owners, or anyone showing overwhelming fondness.
- Examples: “Grandparents often dote on their grandchildren,” or “She dotes on her pet dog.”
Quick crossword clues like “love to an excessive degree (4,2)” almost always point toward familiar idiomatic phrases:
- Alternatives like adore (5) or idolise (7) suggest strong affection, but they don’t match the 4,2 enumeration or the idiomatic style.
- The two-part structure is a classic hint for a phrasal verb or expression, leading directly to dote on.
- With its exact length, idiomatic familiarity, and emotional nuance, dote on is the correct crossword solution.
