: a despicable or miserable person
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
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
Lindsey Bahr, Twin Cities, 2 Apr. 2025
If Shelly seems determined to mask the sinking feeling that his glory days are over, McKean suggests with a hangdog face that Aaranow is resigned to his obsolescence.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for hangdog
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
His days are spent either sitting sadly on Iris’ bed with literal hangdog eyes or acting out and destroying things in her apartment.
—Lindsey Bahr, Twin Cities, 2 Apr. 2025
If Shelly seems determined to mask the sinking feeling that his glory days are over, McKean suggests with a hangdog face that Aaranow is resigned to his obsolescence.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for hangdog
Cite this Entry
“Hangdog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hangdog. Accessed 7 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share