dog
gb/dˈɔɡ/ us/dˈɔɡ/
A1
Kiingereza
~ 900
Maana
maana 0
Nomino
A1
entity
1
Domesticated animal kept as pet
An animal with four legs, fur, and a tail, often kept by people as a pet or for work.
Muundo wa matumizi:
a [adjective] dog
Kosa la kawaida:
Some learners confuse 'dog' with 'puppy', but 'puppy' means a young dog.
Visawe
canine (More formal or technical term for a dog, often used in scientific or official contexts.)
Vinyume
cat (Another common domesticated pet, often contrasted with dogs.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
pet dog
|guard dog
|stray dog
|guide dog
|dog breed
Mada
animals
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Mifano
- Their dog barked loudly at the mail carrier.
- She adopted a rescue dog from the shelter.
- The farmer uses a dog to herd sheep.
- That dog is very friendly with children.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- I have a big dog.
- The dog is in the garden.
- That dog likes to play.
- My friend has a white dog.
Kitenzi
B2
action
2
Follow or bother persistently
To go after someone all the time and not leave them alone.
Muundo wa matumizi:
to dog [someone]
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners sometimes confuse this with 'walk the dog', which is unrelated.
Visawe
pursue (Neutral term for following, not necessarily implying annoyance.)
Vinyume
ignore (To deliberately not pay attention to or follow someone.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
dogged pursuit
|dog someone's steps
Mada
movement
|social
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Mifano
- Reporters dogged the actor wherever she went.
- His career was dogged by bad luck.
- Protesters dogged the politician during the campaign.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- The police dogged the thief.
- Fans dogged the singer after the show.
- Bad luck dogged him for years.
Nomino
informal
B2
entity
3
Unattractive person or thing
A person or thing that looks bad or is not nice (informal).
Muundo wa matumizi:
a real dog
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners may think this refers to the animal; in this sense it is slang and figurative.
Visawe
loser (Informal term for an unsuccessful person; broader than appearance.)
Vinyume
beauty (Someone or something that is very attractive.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
ugly dog
|that movie was a dog
Mada
appearance
|informal speech
|core_vocabulary
|emotions
Mifano
- That car is a real dog—it breaks down every week.
- He called the old building a dog compared to the new one.
- She felt hurt when he called her a dog.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- This phone is a dog. It is very slow.
- That movie was a dog. I did not like it.
- He said my shoes are dogs. They are ugly.
Kitenzi
informal
B2
action
4
Avoid work or duty
To not do your work when you should (informal).
Muundo wa matumizi:
to dog [one's] duties
Visawe
shirk (More formal term for avoiding duties.)
Vinyume
fulfill (To do what you are expected to do.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
dog it at work
Mada
work
|informal speech
|core_vocabulary
Mifano
- He’s been dogging it all week instead of finishing the project.
- They accused him of dogging his duties.
- Stop dogging it and help us clean up.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- He dogs his work every day.
- I don't want to dog my job.
- They say I am dogging it, but I am tired.
Sarufi
Umbo la kamusi
dog
IPA
GB/dˈɔɡ/
US/dˈɔɡ/
Silabi na mkazo
dog (silabi 1)
Stress on 1st syllable (dog)
Maumbo ya neno
Noun
- Base: dog
- Plural: dog, dogs
Verb
- Base: dog
- 3rd Person Singular: dogs
- Present Participle: dogging
- Past: dogged
Familia ya neno
Forms
dogs
noun
dogging
verb
dogged
verb
Related words
puppy
noun A2
doggy
noun
Advanced or less common
doggedly
adverb
canine
adjective B2
Vidokezo muhimu
- Irregular present participle: dogging Verb
- Irregular past: dogged Verb
Semi
dog days
1/dˈɔɡ dˈeɪz/
fixed phrase
Hottest summer period
The hottest days in summer, usually in July or August.
Mifano
- We stayed indoors during the dog days of August.
- The flowers wilted in the dog days of summer.
every dog has its day
1/ˈɛvɹi dˈɔɡ hˈæz ˈɪts dˈeɪ/
idiom
Everyone gets chance at success eventually
Everyone will have a time when they succeed or are lucky, even if they usually are not.
Mifano
- Don’t worry—you’ll win someday. Every dog has its day.
- He finally got recognition for his work; every dog has its day.
go to the dogs
1/ɡˈoʊ tə ðə dˈɔɡz/
idiom
informal
Become worse in quality/condition
To get worse in quality, condition, or value.
Mifano
- Since the new owner took over, the restaurant has gone to the dogs.
- The neighborhood has really gone to the dogs lately.
let sleeping dogs lie
1/lˈɛt slˈipɪŋ dˈɔɡz lˈaɪ/
idiom
Avoid old conflicts/problems
To not talk about old problems because it might cause trouble again.
Mifano
- I decided to let sleeping dogs lie and not bring up the argument.
- It’s best to let sleeping dogs lie when dealing with sensitive issues.
work like a dog
1/wˈɚk lˈaɪk ə dˈɔɡ/
idiom
informal
Work very hard for long hours
To work very hard for a long time without much rest.
Mifano
- She’s been working like a dog to finish her degree.
- He worked like a dog all week to meet the deadline.