puppy dog
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of puppy dog
First recorded in 1585–95
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.
In “Afterlife,” we learn that a teenage Carlos used to follow Malcolm around Harlem like a puppy dog, frequently taking in his lectures and sermons.
From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2025
And he believes he can construct a championship team here, one that presumably will reside next door to his mansions built on pipe dreams and puppy dog kisses.
From Washington Post • Jul. 1, 2022
She can be vulnerable one minute, flashing puppy dog eyes that beg for compassion, and obdurate the next, asserting her independence with a fierce determination that shows her mettle.
From Salon • Dec. 17, 2021
His shoulders slumped, and he seemed to look at me with puppy dog eyes.
From New York Times • Aug. 19, 2021
Joe gave Benny what I assumed was his sad puppy dog face.
From "The First Rule of Punk" by Celia C. Pérez
![]()
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.