dog-eared

or dog·eared

[ dawg-eerd, dog- ]

adjective

1. having dog-ears:

   a dog-eared book.

2. shabby; worn:

   dog-eared furniture.

dog-eared

adjective

1. having dog-ears
2. shabby or worn

Word History and Origins

Origin of dog-eared¹

First recorded in 1775–85

Example Sentences

All these years later, the books on my nightstand are highlighted, annotated and dog-eared.

From Los Angeles Times

When they first came to the island, Chicken chose a dog-eared copy of Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls.

From Literature

For you, maybe that translates into a bargain bin or a giveaway pile; wherever you can find books that are weathered, dog-eared and inscribed to someone else.

From New York Times

The ones that aren’t so nice to look at, like dog-eared paperbacks, are stored in the cabinets.

From Seattle Times

Under President Biden’s Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, the first Native American to hold the post, the bureau’s dog-eared script has acquired a few edits.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• crummy
• decaying
• decrepit
• desolate
• dilapidated
• dingy
• pitiful
• ramshackle
• ratty
• rickety
• run down
• scruffy
• seedy
• shoddy
• squalid
• tacky
• tattered
• threadbare
• worn