dogged
1 Americanadjective
adjective
adjective
Related Words
See stubborn.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of dogged
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English: “having characteristics of a dog”; see dog, -ed 3
Explanation
Someone who's dogged is stubbornly persistent. In the old Looney Tunes cartoons, Wile E. Coyote's pursuit of the Road Runner is dogged. He simply will not give up. You can see the word dog within the word dogged. It's no trick. If you're dogged, you are as obstinate and tenacious as a dog who smells a bone. An earlier definition of this adjective was more general, meaning "having the qualities of a dog." Today, though, if someone describes you as dogged, they simply mean that you won't stop until you get what you want.
Vocabulary lists containing dogged
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The third and longest day of the challenge, on Wednesday, was dogged by torrential rain and an unexpected reroute caused by a fire.
From BBC • May 15, 2026
First of all, I applaud your dogged determination to make sure that your server got their due.
From MarketWatch • May 14, 2026
It took more than three years of public pressure, multiple hearings, a dogged legislator and a regulator willing to reverse his predecessor to force a do-over.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026
Colloff’s reporting is, as usual, dogged and exhaustive, and the book reads like a thriller, but never sacrifices the humanity of the people Skalnik hurt.
From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026
Grout and Sauceda are particularly dogged, partly because it means saving lives.
From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
