dog-eat-dog

[ dawg-eet-dawg, dog-eet-dog ]

adjective

1. marked by destructive or ruthless competition; without self-restraint, ethics, etc.:

   It's a dog-eat-dog industry.

noun

1. complete egotism; action based on utter cynicism:

   The only rule of the marketplace was dog-eat-dog.

dog-eat-dog

1. Ruthlessly competitive: “You have to look out for your own interests; it's a dog-eat-dog world.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of dog-eat-dog¹

First recorded in 1930–35

Idioms and Phrases

Ruthless acquisition or competition, as in With shrinking markets, it's dog eat dog for every company in this field . This contradicts a Latin proverb which maintains that dog does not eat dog, first recorded in English in 1543. Nevertheless, by 1732 it was put as “Dogs are hard drove when they eat dogs” (Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia ).

Example Sentences

“The Dark Forest,” the second volume, is named for a view of the universe as a dog-eat-dog struggle for survival in which the best way to survive is to hide.

From Seattle Times

Or maybe just at his dad: “I’m not a dog! I’m not going to adjust to any place that’s dog-eat-dog! I won’t toughen up! And I don’t care about succeeding! I care about Josie!”

From Literature

Based on a Rey Andujar novel and adapted by Cintrón and Laura Conyedo, the film takes an unflinching look at what it means to survive in a dog-eat-dog world in which almost anything — sex, privacy, vengeance — is up for sale, and those who are too poor or not white enough to hustle may end up dead.

From New York Times

He just wanted to play, so he pushed on in what he's called the dog-eat-dog world of professional rugby, disastrously as it turned out.

From BBC

“That’s a big thing. It’s a grown-man game here. A dog-eat-dog world. Got to get off to a better start.”

From Seattle Times