hangdog

1 of 2

adjective

hang·​dog ˈhaŋ-ˌdȯg How to pronounce hangdog (audio)
Synonyms of hangdognext
1
: sad, dejected
2
: sheepish

hangdog

2 of 2

noun

: a despicable or miserable person

Synonyms

Adjective

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Examples of hangdog in a Sentence

Adjective He came home with a hangdog expression on his face. “Why do you look so hangdog today?” she asked
Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
The Movie finds its titular alpha wolf Scott McCall (Tyler Posey) a teenager no more, but still struggling with the same hangdog loneliness. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 26 Jan. 2023 The man is Calum (Normal People's Paul Mescal), dangling on the cusp of 32, handsome in a hangdog way, with an arm in a cast and a big smile that can't entirely hide the distress that nips at his joy. — A.a. Dowd, Chron, 9 Nov. 2022
Noun
With his natural hangdog demeanour and wearing a pair of beach shorts, Burke (currently also seen with Blanchett in Steven Soderbergh’s Black Bag) persuasively presents Trigorin as a man who has lived too much in his own head. — Demetrios Matheou, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2025 Pattinson cuts through all of it, one hangdog expression and mouth-breather exclamation at a time. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 6 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hangdog

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1677, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1687, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hangdog was in 1677

Rhymes for hangdog

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Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Hangdog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hangdog. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

hangdog

adjective
hang·​dog
ˈhaŋ-ˌdȯg
1
: ashamed sense 1, guilty
a hangdog look
2
: dejected, cowed

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Nglish: Translation of hangdog for Spanish Speakers

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