dog in the manger

noun

a person who selfishly keeps something that he or she does not really need or want so that others may not use or enjoy it.

Origin of dog in the manger

First recorded in 1555–65

Related formsdog-in-the-man·ger, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for dog in the manger

But from a national standpoint such a dog-in-the-manger policy must eventually bring its own punishment.
The Cradle of Mankind|W.A. Wigram
Though the desire for food was not wanting, my mind (that dog-in-the-manger) refused to let me satisfy my hunger.
A Mind That Found Itself|Clifford Whittingham Beers
It was the dog-in-the-manger feeling which possesses coquettes of both sexes.
The Pearl of Orr's Island|Harriet Beecher Stowe
Now look here: it's just foolery to let this Dog-in-the-Manger Company hold the stage any longer.
The Recipe for Diamonds|Charles John Cutcliffe Wright Hyne

He thought, however, that this dog-in-the-manger policy had gone far enough.
In the Midst of Alarms|Robert Barr

British Dictionary definitions for dog in the manger

dog in the manger

noun

a person who prevents others from using something he has no use for
(as modifier)a dog-in-the-manger attitude

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Culture definitions for dog in the manger

dog in the manger

A person who spitefully refuses to let someone else benefit from something for which he or she has no personal use: “We asked our neighbor for the fence posts he had left over, but, like a dog in the manger, he threw them out rather than give them to us.” The phrase comes from one of Aesop's fables, about a dog lying in a manger full of hay. When an ox tries to eat some hay, the dog bites him, despite the fact that the hay is of no use to the dog.

Idioms and Phrases with dog in the manger

dog in the manger

One who prevents others from enjoying something despite having no use for it. For example, Why be a dog in the manger? If you aren't going to use those tickets, let someone else have them. This expression alludes to Aesop's fable about a snarling dog that prevents horses from eating fodder that is unpalatable to the dog itself. [Mid-1500s]