hound

1 of 2

noun

ˈhau̇nd 

1

a

: dog

b

: a dog of any of numerous hunting breeds including both scent hounds (such as the bloodhound and beagle) and sight hounds (such as the greyhound and Afghan hound)

2

: a mean or despicable person

3

: dogfish

4

: a person who pursues like a hound

especially : one who avidly seeks or collects something

autograph hounds

hound

2 of 2

verb

hounded; hounding; hounds

transitive verb

1

: to pursue with or as if with hounds

2

: to drive or affect by persistent harassing

hounder noun

Synonyms of hound

Noun

• dog

Verb

• chase
• track
• pursue
• dog
• follow
• escort

Choose the Right Synonym for hound

bait, badger, heckle, hector, chivy, hound mean to harass by efforts to break down.

bait implies wanton cruelty or delight in persecuting a helpless victim.

baited the chained dog

badger implies pestering so as to drive a person to confusion or frenzy.

badgered her father for a car

heckle implies persistent annoying or belligerent interruptions of a speaker.

drunks heckled the stand-up comic

hector carries an implication of bullying and domineering.

football players hectored by their coach

chivy suggests persecution by teasing or nagging.

chivied the new student mercilessly

hound implies unrelenting pursuit and harassing.

hounded by creditors

Examples of hound in a Sentence

Noun

in the yard an old hound greeted us with a single bark

a camera hound even before the baby arrived, he's now become obsessive

Verb

He is being hounded by the press.

They hounded me with questions.

They hounded me for my autograph.

hound a politician out of office

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Ever since her father left the fort almost a whole season ago, walking off into the darkening blue hills with both his hounds, never to return, her mother has taken to these long and aimless searches, sometimes with Brith and sometimes without. —Maggie O’Farrell, Literary Hub, 2 June 2026

But this has led to autograph hounds who harass celebrities for autographs and then turn around and sell them on eBay. —Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 26 May 2026

Verb

And so, hounded by creditors and distressed by mounting debts, the remaining family had to leave their formerly genteel surroundings for the gritty, unsentimental shadows of the Yoshiwara. —Literary Hub, 28 May 2026

Waterhouse and Pattinson have chosen not to share their daughter’s name or face publicly but are hounded by paparazzi trying to capture them. —Ellise Shafer, Variety, 28 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English hund; akin to Old High German hunt dog, Latin canis, Greek kyōn

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1528, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing hound

• Afghan hound
• basset hound
• hound's-tongue
• hound's-tooth
• Ibizan hound
• lyam-hound
• lyme-hound
• rock hound
• scent hound
• sight hound
• smooth hound

Rhymes for hound

• bound
• browned
• crowned
• downed
• drowned
• found
• frowned
• gowned
• ground
• mound
• round
• sound

Kids Definition

hound

1 of 2 noun

ˈhau̇nd 

1

: dog entry 1 sense 1a

2

: a dog of any of various hunting breeds having large drooping ears and a deep voice and following their prey by scent or sight

hound

2 of 2 verb

: to pursue with or as if with hounds