Hangdog eyes (of an expression on a face) unhappy or ashamed, especially because of feeling guilty: 2. A hang-dog look is a furtive, guilty or apologetic expression on someone’s face and dates in this sense from the late 1600s. 21 May 2025 His days are spent either sitting sadly on Iris’ bed with literal hangdog eyes or acting out and 2 meanings: 1. ” John slouched in his chair, wearing the hangdog expression of someone who had just lost everything. ” Jun 6, 2019 · I assumed this was the origin of the idiom - a person has a hangdog expression when they look like a dog expecting to be whipped or beaten, and cannot escape. However, Oxford and other impeccable authorities link it with Judicial Hanging, suggesting that a person looks so despicable that they are fit only to be hanged, or to hang a poor dog Hang-dog look. Learn more. . Hangdog definition: . See examples of HANGDOG used in a sentence. The meaning of HANGDOG is sad, dejected. Hangdog Eyes neglectedtuesday. This article explores its origins, usage, and cultural significance, shedding light on how we invoke complex feelings into a single word. “It was like the Red Sea parted,” Zeitz, now semiretired, recalled one recent morning, looking back on that day 40 years ago. hangdog look phrase. The word hangdog has undergone the same metamorphosis that many compound words undergo, first being spelled as two separate words, then as a hyphenated word Feb 2, 2025 · The term 'hangdog' in slang describes a person with a miserable, guilty, or downcast demeanor. HANGDOG definition: 1. Times, Sunday Times ( 2016 ) He showed that hangdog look of someone who feels defeated. downcast, furtive, or guilty in appearance or manner 2. The dog may raise both their eyebrows and widen their eyes in astonishment. Hangdog eyes in cartoons typically have a gloomy and defeated look. In those days, a dog referred to a low, disreputable person and hang-dog meant that such a person was only fit for hanging. What does hangdog look expression mean? Definitions by the largest Idiom Dictionary. Oct 27, 2017 · How it looks: A dog elevates one or both eyebrows while giving a wide-eye look. a furtive or sneaky person. A self-pitying expression of abjection, defeat, shame, or guilt. You've already made a mess of things, so now you have to deal with it! Dec 5, 2021 · Amid this oppressive gloom, Stone’s sallow, hangdog visage suggests someone wasting away before our very eyes. What the dog is trying to say: The dog may be taken by surprise – in a good way - such as receiving a Grade-A treat. Dogs are clearly doing something Feb 12, 2025 · Literature and Media: Authors and screenwriters use “hangdog” to convey a character’s emotional state or to create vivid character descriptions: “The guilty student stood before the principal with a hangdog air about him. Don't just stare at me with that hangdog look. Hangdog is an adjective that is solely used to describe a facial expression. His hangdog face looks like pummelled dough and unspoken anxieties lurk in his bleary eyes. Note that hangdog is a compound word, which is a word that is derived from two separate words joined together. Summary: [Image description: TMZ webpage, headline reads - Succession Split! Insiders say more than artistic differences! HANGDOG meaning: 1. Kendall wears devastation as well as any of his designer clothes; carries it with him like it's this years must have accessory, didn't you hear, aviator sunglasses are out, emotional turmoil displayed openly in your Droopy Dog eyes is in. (of…. Click for more definitions. Stewy's decision to pilfer Kendall's heart and abscond into the night like some kind of Dick Turpin “I’m here to see Frank,” said the lawyer, a 33-year-old with hangdog eyes and a perfect part named Glenn Zeitz. They could have dark circles under them, a lackluster gaze, and might be accompanied by a frown or a downturned mouth to further convey the sad or defeated mood. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture , 12 Mar. Jun 18, 2019 · The ability to make this hangdog expression, Still, gaze into the eyes of a forlorn corgi puppy for a few seconds, and it's hard to argue with these results. 2021 Definition of hangdog look in the Idioms Dictionary. lnijmpxrlypppjykgtsoqqqnjagvwzlfwtvqyjobuseejsoerdwd