as in sad
feeling unhappiness
"Why do you look so hangdog today?" she asked
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Recent Examples of hangdog
His Mickey is pleasantly mumbly, with a hangdog mien that’s often crosscut with a don’t-underestimate-me swagger.
—
Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2022
Vic accepts his highly public and private humiliation with hangdog equanimity.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 18 Mar. 2022
Segel earns some empathy as a hangdog Everyman, though his backstory remains such a deliberate blank that any insight is mostly gleaned from his blundering missteps and low-simmering misery.
—Leah Greenblatt, EW.com, 18 Mar. 2022
Another slip here is the casting of Effros in the lead role of Martin, a hangdog techie who travels from New York to Cape Cod to settle the estate of his late, estranged dad, Kenneth.
—Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2022
See All Example Sentences for hangdog
Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2022
Vic accepts his highly public and private humiliation with hangdog equanimity.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 18 Mar. 2022
Segel earns some empathy as a hangdog Everyman, though his backstory remains such a deliberate blank that any insight is mostly gleaned from his blundering missteps and low-simmering misery.
—Leah Greenblatt, EW.com, 18 Mar. 2022
Another slip here is the casting of Effros in the lead role of Martin, a hangdog techie who travels from New York to Cape Cod to settle the estate of his late, estranged dad, Kenneth.
—Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2022
See All Example Sentences for hangdog
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hangdog
Adjective
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So is this really worth being sad about?—
Andrew P. Collins,
The Drive,
19 Mar. 2026
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Perhaps the saddest was the case of a Garden Grove gas station owner who was convicted of misdemeanors for illegally giving customers preferential treatment.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In the novel The Midnight Library, Matt Haig tells the story of Nora, a depressed woman beset by her life and its disappointments.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Mar. 2026
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The production also changes the seven scenes that make up the show in which classic child characters from Christmas specials and movies are seen as depressed middle-aged folks drinking away their holiday traumas in a small bar.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The post got 22,000 views, including from unhappy folks living next to data centers, but no helpful information.—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
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Against this backdrop, the unhappy Angine shops compulsively in a department store and develops a fascination with a playful salesgirl.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The story unfolds in Enoshima, Japan, where a middle-aged salaryman, unable to submit his resignation letter, meets a heartbroken young Korean man at a ramen shop.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
18 Mar. 2026
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The comedy lies in the unwavering sincerity with which every ridiculous twist is treated, from one-night stands with a cuy fighter and multiple fires to violent abductions and a heartbroken lover riding her motorcycle off a cliff.—
Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Heading into this game, Matthews’ injury felt like the final nail in the coffin on a miserable Leafs season.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
15 Mar. 2026
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Nuggets star guard Jamal Murray fouled out 31 seconds into overtime, finishing with five points, six rebounds and six assists on a miserable 1-for-14 shooting night.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Also emotional, sometimes spirited, and other times melancholy are the songs, which Cotillard lip-synced.—
Darren Franich,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
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In a weirdly serendipitous bit of cinema news, Billie Eilish—queen of melancholy pop—is turning her sad eyes to Sylvia Plath.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Nobody paid much attention to weather forecasts because winter days were usually the same and, if different, just worse.—
Bradley Gitz,
Arkansas Online,
16 Mar. 2026
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Jokic eagerly took advantage of bad transition defense, looking for long outlet passes to Braun and Bruce Brown.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Doing anything 98 times is a lot, and that certainly applies to the world’s most popular and prestigious award show (sorry about it, Alfred Nobel).—
Vulture Editors,
Vulture,
15 Mar. 2026
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Pedro Neto said sorry for pushing a ball boy during Chelsea’s defeat at Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, and also gave the kid his shirt — but UEFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against the winger regardless.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hangdog.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hangdog. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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