dog-eat-dog

American  

[dawg-eet-dawg, dog-eet-dog] / ˈdɔg itˈdɔg, ˈdɒg itˈdɒg /

adjective

1. marked by destructive or ruthless competition; without self-restraint, ethics, etc..

   It's a dog-eat-dog industry.

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noun

1. complete egotism; action based on utter cynicism.

   The only rule of the marketplace was dog-eat-dog.

dog-eat-dog Cultural  

1. Ruthlessly competitive: “You have to look out for your own interests; it's a dog-eat-dog world.”

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dog eat dog Idioms  

1. Ruthless acquisition or competition, as in With shrinking markets, it's dog eat dog for every company in this field. This contradicts a Latin proverb which maintains that dog does not eat dog, first recorded in English in 1543. Nevertheless, by 1732 it was put as “Dogs are hard drove when they eat dogs” (Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia).

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Etymology

Origin of dog-eat-dog

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

It's worth noting that, even before the invention of streaming, the world of US chat shows was always a competitive, dog-eat-dog world.

From BBC • Jul. 18, 2025

In one episode, his response is, “It’s a dog-eat-dog world, and I’m wearing Milk-Bone underwear.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2025

“The Dark Forest,” the second volume, is named for a view of the universe as a dog-eat-dog struggle for survival in which the best way to survive is to hide.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 28, 2024

It is tempting to say that “Killing It,” on Peacock, is a satire of dog-eat-dog capitalism.

From New York Times • Aug. 17, 2023

Life on the streets was a dog-eat-dog world.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner