dogged

1 of 2

adjective

dog·​ged ˈdȯ-gəd 

: marked by stubborn determination

a dogged competitor

dogged devotion

doggedly adverb

doggedness noun

dogged

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of dog entry 3

Synonyms of dogged

Adjective

• persistent
• insistent
• resolute

Choose the Right Synonym for dogged

obstinate, dogged, stubborn, pertinacious, mulish mean fixed and unyielding in course or purpose.

obstinate implies usually an unreasonable persistence.

an obstinate proponent of conspiracy theories

dogged suggests an admirable often tenacious and unwavering persistence.

pursued the story with dogged perseverance

stubborn implies sturdiness in resisting change which may or may not be admirable.

a person too stubborn to admit error

pertinacious suggests an annoying or irksome persistence.

a pertinacious salesclerk refusing to take no for an answer

mulish implies a thoroughly unreasonable obstinacy.

a mulish determination to have his own way

Examples of dogged in a Sentence

Adjective

Her dogged efforts eventually paid off.

a dogged pursuit of power

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Fineman is set to play Parker Quinn, a sports reporter for a top publication who’s known as a dogged reporter with a passion for her beat. — Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 20 July 2026

One of the hallmarks of the series is its dogged attention to detail, an aspect of storyboarding infinitely complicated by the non-linear nature of the episodes and the vast number of years Lestat’s life as a vampire spans. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 7 July 2026

Some people still pursue that dream in the dry, dogged manner that Meagher did. — Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 20 June 2026

Smart, ambitious and dogged, she is not burdened by a dark past or traumatic pain or the generally dour outlook that plague so many of her peers. — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, "having unattractive qualities (as belligerence or surliness) traditionally attributed to some dogs," from dog, dogge dog entry 1 + -ed -ed entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1700, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for dogged

• bogged
• clogged
• flogged
• fogged
• jogged
• logged
• catalogued
• waterlogged

Kids Definition

dogged

adjective

dog·​ged ˈdȯ-gəd 

: stubbornly determined : tenacious

in dogged pursuit of power

doggedly adverb

doggedness noun