hangdog

American  

[hang-dawg, -dog] / ˈhæŋˌdɔg, -ˌdɒg /

adjective

1. shamefaced; guilty.

   He sneaked out of the room with a hangdog expression.

   Synonyms:

   contrite, sheepish, ashamed

2. browbeaten; defeated; intimidated.

   He always went about with a hangdog look.

   Synonyms:

   crestfallen, wretched

   Antonyms:

   assured, confident

3. suitable to a degraded or contemptible person; sneaky; furtive.

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noun

1. a degraded, contemptible person.

hangdog British  

/ ˈhæŋˌdɒɡ /

adjective

1. downcast, furtive, or guilty in appearance or manner

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noun

1. a furtive or sneaky person

Etymology

Origin of hangdog

First recorded in 1670–80; hang + dog

Explanation

A hangdog look is one that betrays a feeling of shame, embarrassment, or fear. Your hangdog expression after sneaking a whoopee cushion onto your teacher's chair is a dead giveaway that you're guilty. Use the adjective hangdog to describe someone's cowering appearance or the sheepish look on her face. You might have a hangdog look if you're afraid of getting in trouble, or if you regret your actions. The now-obsolete root noun hang-dog was used in the 17th century to mean "a despicable, low person," or someone who's "only fit to hang a dog," or sometimes "only fit to be hung (like a dog)."

Example Sentences

Once he starts singing his own material, he becomes a bona fide rock star — a moody Elvis who straddles rock, country, folk and pop with a hangdog bravura.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 11, 2025

Dressed in a blue blazer, Mr Cohen had ditched the tie but kept his signature hangdog expression and thick Long Island accent.

From BBC • Oct. 24, 2023

He has a flair for deadpan sarcasm and cynicism, a great hangdog expression, and you get him to sing in one scene.

From Salon • Jun. 9, 2023

And again, Sandler channels a hangdog torpor, almost a melancholic air, in a performance that bristles with comic realism.

From New York Times • Mar. 31, 2023

The swineherd later on will take me down the port-side trail—a beggar, by my looks, hangdog and old.

From "The Odyssey" by Homer