black dog

noun

, Informal.

1. melancholy; despondency; the blues:

   The black dog is over him.

black dog

noun

1. informal.
   depression or melancholy

Word History and Origins

Origin of black dog¹

First recorded in 1700–10

Example Sentences

I left my own black dog behind on my way to Cannes, so there was no way I wasn’t committing to this one.

From Los Angeles Times

Kodi the griffon mix, who plays Cosmos in the Swiss comedy-drama, narrowly beat Xin, a sighthound who instead wagged away with the Grand Jury Prize for the Chinese drama “Black Dog.”

From Seattle Times

Meanwhile, Taiwanese superstar and “Black Dog” actor Eddie Peng showed up to support Xin, not just as her co-star but also as her owner.

From Seattle Times

The Black Dog in Vauxhall has been swamped after fans realised it was the subject of a song on her 11th album.

From BBC

The Black Dog is the 17th track on The Tortured Poets Department, which last week broke Spotify's record for the most-streamed album in a single day.

From BBC