as in sad
feeling unhappiness
"Why do you look so hangdog today?" she asked
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of hangdog
His Mickey is pleasantly mumbly, with a hangdog mien that’s often crosscut with a don’t-underestimate-me swagger.
—
Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2022
Vic accepts his highly public and private humiliation with hangdog equanimity.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 18 Mar. 2022
Segel earns some empathy as a hangdog Everyman, though his backstory remains such a deliberate blank that any insight is mostly gleaned from his blundering missteps and low-simmering misery.
—Leah Greenblatt, EW.com, 18 Mar. 2022
Another slip here is the casting of Effros in the lead role of Martin, a hangdog techie who travels from New York to Cape Cod to settle the estate of his late, estranged dad, Kenneth.
—Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2022
See All Example Sentences for hangdog
Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2022
Vic accepts his highly public and private humiliation with hangdog equanimity.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 18 Mar. 2022
Segel earns some empathy as a hangdog Everyman, though his backstory remains such a deliberate blank that any insight is mostly gleaned from his blundering missteps and low-simmering misery.
—Leah Greenblatt, EW.com, 18 Mar. 2022
Another slip here is the casting of Effros in the lead role of Martin, a hangdog techie who travels from New York to Cape Cod to settle the estate of his late, estranged dad, Kenneth.
—Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2022
See All Example Sentences for hangdog
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hangdog
Adjective
-
There will be keggers, hook-ups, late nights and early mornings, all without shading Greg as a sad old man trying to turn back time.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
5 Mar. 2026
-
But none of them can say this, none of them can let their feelings be known, and, instead of a triangle, what ends up happening is three sad lines fallen in on each other, lying in a pile, waiting for someone to come along and prop them back up into a shape.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Women who are anxious, overwhelmed, or emotionally reactive get labeled as depressed or hormonal.—
Sarah Oreck,
SELF,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Telehealth companies are mailing a Schedule III narcotic to tens of thousands of depressed patients, hailing it as the democratization of mental health.—
Michael Alvear,
STAT,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
With price pressures still bubbling in ways that have made consumers unhappy about affordability, economists are closely monitoring the impact of higher energy prices.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Unions, which were unhappy with the prospect of any industry consolidation may give Paramount a hard time and may not want to play ball.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
His family and friends are utterly heartbroken.—
Mike Hellgren,
CBS News,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Like Sebek, Lincoln-Way co-op senior Zoe Dempsey was heartbroken not to win state in her final attempt.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
And after scoring just 94 points in a miserable shooting performance against the Cavs, the Knicks were clicking on all cylinders when the ball found the bottom of the net on Friday.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
28 Feb. 2026
-
The end of the first block of games for the Los Angeles Football Club comes Saturday in Houston, a leg of the Texas circuit that has generally been miserable for them the past few seasons.—
Josh Gross,
Daily News,
28 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Inside, the ornately elegant venue may have seemed like an unlikely setting for Junior H’s melancholy corridos tumbados.—
Isabela Raygoza,
Billboard,
5 Mar. 2026
-
In my experience, sadness and melancholy exist side by side with happiness and joy.—
Cressida Leyshon,
New Yorker,
1 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Lakers shot 50% from the field and 46% from three-point range in a dominant performance against the NBA’s worst team.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Louis Trotter’s second Bottega Veneta show at the brand’s headquarters in the Palazzo SanFedele, Palau sent models out in beanies that celebrated the beauty of a good-bad-hair day.—
Arden Fanning Andrews,
Vogue,
1 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
As one of the stars of gay hockey smut — sorry, show — Heated Rivalry, Storrie’s overnight catapult into the spotlight has bestowed upon him a rabid fanbase of horny women.—
Rima Parikh,
Vulture,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Customers Mari Acero and William Cormier, who work at Club Space’s offices across the street, are sorry to see Las Palmas go.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hangdog.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hangdog. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
