puppy
gb/pˈʌpi/ us/pˈʌpi/
A2
English
~ 8300
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
a young dog
A baby dog, usually less than one year old.
Usage pattern:
a puppy is [adjective]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say "puppys" instead of the correct plural "puppies." Another mistake is using "puppy" to mean any dog, even an old one; "puppy" should only be used for young dogs.
Synonyms
young dog (More descriptive and neutral; not used as a normal single-word noun.)
|
pup (More informal and slightly more childish-sounding than "puppy".)
Antonyms
adult dog (Refers to a fully grown dog, the opposite life stage of a puppy.)
Collocations
cute puppy
|little puppy
|adopt a puppy
|train a puppy
|puppy food
|puppy care
Themes
animals
|daily life
|family
|nature
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- They just got a new puppy from the animal shelter.
- The puppy chewed up my shoes while I was at work.
- Our dog has six tiny puppies in a box in the kitchen.
- Please don't leave the puppy alone for too long.
- The children were excited to play with the fluffy puppy.
Learner examples
- The puppy is very small and soft.
- My sister wants a puppy for her birthday.
- The brown puppy runs around the garden.
- We feed the puppy three times a day.
- The puppy sleeps next to my bed.
Noun
informal
B2
entity
2
eager or naive young man
An informal word for a young man who is very eager or does not have much experience, sometimes said in a kind or slightly negative way.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is just a puppy
Common mistake:
Learners may think this meaning is common and neutral, but it is actually informal and often used with a slightly negative or playful tone. It should not be used in formal writing or to describe women unless you are quoting or using a very specific style.
Synonyms
kid (General word for a child or young person; lacks the idea of eagerness or naivety that "puppy" suggests.)
|
rookie (Focuses on inexperience in a specific activity or job; more common in sports and work contexts than "puppy.")
Antonyms
grown-up (Emphasizes maturity and experience, the opposite of the youth and inexperience implied by "puppy.")
Collocations
just a puppy
|poor puppy
|you silly puppy
|you lucky puppy
Themes
people
|character
|emotions
|relationships
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He may be confident, but in this business he's still just a puppy.
- You silly puppy, you really believed everything they told you.
- At twenty-two, the new manager was a bright little puppy full of ideas.
- You lucky puppy, getting tickets to the final on your first try.
- They treat him like a puppy who needs to be protected from every mistake.
Learner examples
- In that office, he is still a puppy with a lot to learn.
- They called him a puppy because he was new and very excited.
- She smiled and said, "You poor puppy," when he lost his first game.
- People saw him as a puppy, not as a serious leader.
- His boss thinks he is just a puppy and does not listen to him.
Noun
informal
C1
entity
3
informal word for a thing
A very informal way to say "this thing" or "that thing," often when you show or talk about something like a car, machine, or problem.
Usage pattern:
this puppy [does something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think this use of "puppy" is standard, but it is very informal and mostly used in spoken American English. It should not be used in formal writing, and it is usually used only with words like "this" or "that" before it.
Synonyms
thing (More general and neutral; does not have the playful, informal tone of "puppy.")
|
baby (In similar slang use (e.g. "this baby goes fast"), it can sound more boastful or affectionate than "puppy.")
Antonyms
nothing (Represents the absence of any object or situation, the opposite of referring to a specific "puppy" (thing).)
Collocations
this puppy
|that puppy
|fix this puppy
|buy this puppy
Themes
daily life
|informal speech
|communication
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Check out this puppy—it goes from zero to sixty in four seconds.
- I finally got this puppy working after three hours of repairs.
- Once you install this puppy, your computer should run much faster.
- We're taking this puppy out on the road as soon as the rain stops.
- That puppy is going to cost us a lot if it breaks again.
Learner examples
- Look at this puppy; it can print thirty pages in one minute.
- After we fix this puppy, we can go home.
- He said, "When this puppy is ready, we will start the show."
- She bought this puppy yesterday, and now it will not start.
- We need to move this puppy before the rain comes.
Grammar
Dictionary form
puppy
IPA
GB/pˈʌpi/
US/pˈʌpi/
Syllables & stress
puppy (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (puppy)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: puppy
- Plural: puppies
Word family
Forms
puppies
noun
Core family
pup
noun
Advanced or less common
puppyhood
noun
puppyish
adjective
Expressions
puppy dog eyes
1/pˈʌpi dˈɔɡ ˈaɪz/
idiom
informal
wide, pleading look
A way of looking at someone with big, sad eyes to make them feel soft and to make them say yes to you.
Examples
- He gave his mom those puppy dog eyes until she finally said he could go to the party.
- She tried her best puppy dog eyes, but her dad still said no.
- The child turned to the teacher with puppy dog eyes, hoping to avoid punishment.
puppy fat
1/pˈʌpi fˈæt/
fixed phrase
temporary fat on a child
Soft fat that some children have on their body, which usually goes away when they grow older.
Examples
- The doctor said it was just puppy fat and nothing to worry about.
- Many kids lose their puppy fat when they hit their teenage years.
puppy mill
1/pˈʌpi mˈɪl/
fixed phrase
large-scale dog-breeding farm
A business that breeds many dogs in bad conditions to sell the puppies, usually caring more about money than about the animals.
Examples
- Many animal-rights groups are working to shut down puppy mills.
- They adopted their dog from a rescue that saves animals from puppy mills.
you lucky puppy
1/jˈu lˈʌki pˈʌpi/
idiom
informal
exclaim that someone is lucky
An informal way to say that someone is very lucky, often because they get something good that other people want.
Examples
- You got a promotion and a bonus? You lucky puppy!
- They said, "You lucky puppy," when they heard he was going on a free trip to Japan.
puppy love
1/pˈʌpi lˈʌv/
idiom
childish or teenage crush
Strong romantic feelings that very young people have, which usually do not last long and are not very deep or serious.
Examples
- Their relationship was just puppy love; it didn't last long.
- Their relationship was just puppy love that faded after a few months.
- Puppy love can feel very real when you're a teenager.
- At thirteen, she thought it was true love, but her parents called it puppy love.
- The movie tells a sweet story of puppy love between two middle-school classmates.