dog
dog — 名詞
1. a domesticated four-legged animal that lives with people and is kept for compani
狗
四條腿的寵物或工作動物
a domesticated four-legged animal that lives with people and is kept for companionship, protection, herding, or helping those with special needs.
Mira takes her dog for a walk in the park every morning before breakfast.
Mira 每天早上早餐前都帶她的狗去公園散步。
dog as pet: take + dog + for a walk
The family's dog barked loudly when a stranger approached the front gate.
那戶人家的狗在陌生人靠近大門時大聲吠叫。
Lucas trained his dog to help him turn lights on and off.
Lucas 訓練他的狗幫他開燈和關燈。
dog as service animal: train + dog + to-infinitive
At the shelter, Charlotte adopted a small brown dog with floppy ears.
Charlotte 在收容所領養了一隻耳朵下垂的棕色小狗。
Some farmers keep dogs to guard their sheep at night.
有些農夫養狗在夜間看守羊群。
dog as working animal: keep dogs + to-guard
- walk the dog
- train a dog
- feed the dog
- dog owner
- dog breed
- guard dog
- service dog
文法句型
a dog
the dog
dogs
用法筆記
Can be used for any breed or mixed-breed animal; the term refers to both male and female dogs unless specified otherwise.
2. a man who behaves in a cruel, dishonest, or morally bad way.
惡棍；壞蛋
行為惡劣或不可信任的男人
a man who behaves in a cruel, dishonest, or morally bad way.
The landlord is a real dog — he raised the rent without fixing any of the broken pipes.
那個房東真是個惡棍——他漲了房租卻不修理任何破掉的水管。
informal insult: a real dog
Amihan called her ex-husband a dirty dog after he lied about the money.
Amihan 在得知前夫說謊騙錢後，罵他是個骯髒的壞蛋。
collocation: dirty dog
Mert warned everyone that the new manager was a lazy dog who let others do his work.
Mert 警告大家，新經理是個懶鬼，老是把工作推給別人做。
pattern: [adjective] + dog
Nobody trusted Tanaka after he cheated the team — they all called him a low-down dog.
Tanaka 欺騙團隊後沒有人信任他——大家都叫他卑鄙小人。
collocation: low-down dog
- dirty dog
- lazy dog
- low-down dog
- gentleman
a man who is polite and honourable
文法句型
a dog
that dog
用法筆記
Often preceded by a negative adjective (dirty, lazy, low-down). Strongly negative; use with caution in polite conversation.
常見錯誤
3. a very offensive term for a person, most often a female, that insults their phys
醜八怪
對外貌不佳者的侮辱用語
a very offensive term for a person, most often a female, that insults their physical appearance.
The bully shouted an ugly dog remark at the new student, and the teacher sent him to the office.
那個霸凌者對新同學罵了一句「醜八怪」，老師把他送去了辦公室。
offensive register: ugly dog
Caleb's grandmother was hurt when she overheard someone call her an old dog at the market.
Caleb 的祖母在市場無意間聽到有人罵她老醜八怪，心裡非常難過。
Nila's mother was furious when she overheard a neighbour call her a dog behind the apartment wall.
Nila 的媽媽聽見鄰居在公寓牆後罵她狗，非常生氣。
offensive register: call + someone + a dog
Tunde's sister cried for hours after a classmate called her a dog during lunch.
Tunde 的妹妹被同學在午餐時罵她狗，哭了好幾個小時。
- ugly dog
- old dog
文法句型
a dog
用法筆記
This is a highly offensive insult, especially when directed at a woman. It condemns the speaker more than the target. Avoid using it entirely.
4. an adult male of certain wild or domestic species, including dogs, foxes, wolves
雄性
雄性狗、狐、狼或水獺
an adult male of certain wild or domestic species, including dogs, foxes, wolves, and otters.
At the wildlife centre, the zookeeper explained that this fox is a dog and the smaller one is a vixen.
在野生動物中心，管理員解釋說這隻狐狸是公的，比較小那隻是母狐。
contrast: dog (male fox) vs vixen (female fox)
The dog otter is about a third larger than the female and has a broader head.
公水獺比母水獺大約三分之一，頭部也比較寬。
Tanvi watched a documentary about wolf packs where the alpha dog led the hunt.
Tanvi 觀看了一部關於狼群的紀錄片，片中由雄狼帶領狩獵。
collocation: alpha dog (in animal behaviour context)
When breeding dogs, breeders often choose a healthy dog with a calm temperament as the father.
繁殖者在配種時，通常會選一隻性情穩定的健康公狗當父親。
breeding context: dog = male parent
- alpha dog
- dog fox
- dog otter
文法句型
a dog
the dog
用法筆記
In the context of domestic dogs, the term 'dog' (male) is contrasted with 'bitch' (female). For foxes, 'dog' contrasts with 'vixen'. For otters, 'dog' contrasts with 'bitch' or 'sow'.
5. an informal, often friendly way of referring to a man, usually with an adjective
傢伙；老兄
對男性的非正式友好稱呼
an informal, often friendly way of referring to a man, usually with an adjective that describes a quality or situation.
Élise smiled and said, "You old dog, I haven't seen you in years!" when she spotted her former classmate.
Élise 笑著說：「你這個老傢伙，我好多年沒看到你了！」她認出了以前的同學。
informal greeting: you old dog
Hao won two free plane tickets in the raffle, and his friends called him a lucky dog.
Hao 在抽獎中贏了兩張免費機票，朋友們都叫他幸運的傢伙。
collocation: lucky dog
When Ignacio sneaked an extra cookie from the jar, his grandmother winked and called him a sly dog.
Ignacio 偷偷從餅乾罐多拿了一塊餅乾，奶奶眨眨眼，笑他是個狡猾的小鬼。
collocation: sly dog (playful affection)
The old bartender was a cheerful dog who knew everyone's name and their usual drink.
那位老酒保是個快樂的傢伙，他記得每個人的名字和他們常喝的飲料。
- old dog
- lucky dog
- sly dog
- jolly dog
文法句型
a dog
old dog
lucky dog
用法筆記
Almost always occurs with a preceding adjective (lucky, old, jolly, sly, etc.). The tone is friendly or teasing, never insulting. Compare with noun sense 2 (UNPLEASANT MAN) where the adjective is negative.
常見錯誤
6. something that is poorly made, performs badly, or is of disappointing quality.
劣質品；爛貨
品質低劣或令人失望的東西
something that is poorly made, performs badly, or is of disappointing quality.
Sofia bought a cheap camera online, but it turned out to be a real dog — the photos were all blurry.
Sofia 在網路上買了一台便宜相機，結果完全是個爛貨——照片全都模糊不清。
pattern: a real dog
That movie was a complete dog; the story made no sense and the acting was terrible.
那部電影糟透了；劇情毫無邏輯，演技也很差。
The used car Christopher bought looked fine but was a total dog — it broke down twice in the first week.
Christopher 買的那輛二手車看起來不錯，但根本是台爛車——第一週就拋錨了兩次。
collocation: total dog
Critics called the new phone a dog because its battery lasted only two hours.
評論家說新款手機是劣質品，因為電池只能撐兩小時。
pattern: called + noun + a dog
- real dog
- total dog
- complete dog
文法句型
a dog
that dog
用法筆記
Often preceded by 'real' or 'total' for emphasis. Common in American English for products, films, or vehicles that fail expectations.
It means it is raining very heavily.
下傾盆大雨
We stayed inside because it was raining cats and dogs.
Did you get wet? It was raining cats and dogs all morning.
a dog and pony show
idiomAn event designed to impress people and gain their support or money.
花俏的宣傳活動
The company's product launch was just a dog and pony show.
Investors saw through the dog and pony show and refused to fund the project.
A situation where people compete fiercely and are willing to harm others to succeed.
殘酷競爭
In the business world, it's often dog eat dog.
They work in a dog-eat-dog industry where trust is rare.
a dog in the manger
idiomA person who prevents others from enjoying something they themselves do not want or use.
佔著茅坑不拉屎的人
He's a dog in the manger, hoarding resources he never uses.
Why be a dog in the manger? Let others use the equipment.
Something that has been done very badly or is a mess.
一團糟
The report was a dog's breakfast, full of errors.
She made a dog's dinner of the presentation, confusing everyone.
a dog’s life
idiomAn unhappy life filled with problems or unfair treatment.
悲慘的生活
The stray dog led a dog's life on the streets.
He complained that his job gave him a dog's life with no rest.
Everyone will have good luck or success at some point in their life.
風水輪流轉
Don't worry, every dog has its day, and yours will come.
She finally won the award; every dog has its day.
To argue or fight frequently and intensely.
激烈爭吵
My siblings fight like cat and dog over the TV remote.
The neighbors fight like cat and dog, always shouting at each other.
Once a person has a bad reputation, it is hard to change because others continue to blame or suspect them.
名聲一壞就難翻身
After the scandal, give a dog a bad name, and no one trusts him.
She made one mistake, but give a dog a bad name, and it sticks.
go to the dogs
idiomTo become much worse in quality or condition.
敗壞
The old neighborhood has gone to the dogs since the factory closed.
If we don't maintain the park, it will go to the dogs.
An alcoholic drink taken to cure a hangover from drinking too much the night before.
解宿醉的酒
He ordered a beer as hair of the dog to feel better.
She swore by a bloody mary as the hair of the dog.
To be personally involved in a situation and have something to gain or lose from the outcome.
有利害關係
I don't have a dog in this fight, so I can be impartial.
The employees have a dog in the fight, so their opinions matter.
To avoid discussing a past issue that could cause trouble if brought up.
別惹麻煩
We decided to let sleeping dogs lie and not mention the argument.
It's better to let sleeping dogs lie than reopen old wounds.
like a dog
idiomWorking or being treated extremely hard or harshly.
像狗一樣辛苦
He worked like a dog all week to meet the deadline.
The interns were treated like a dog, with no breaks.
Very determined and refusing to give up on something.
堅持不懈
The reporter was like a dog with a bone, chasing the story.
She stuck to the problem like a dog with a bone until she solved it.
To have no chance at all of succeeding.
毫無機會
He doesn't have a dog's chance of winning the race.
Without proper training, she hasn't a dog's chance of getting the job.
(as) sick as a dog
idiomFeeling very ill, often with vomiting.
病得很重
After eating bad seafood, I was sick as a dog all night.
She felt sick as a dog and had to stay home from school.
A situation where a less important part controls the more important whole.
本末倒置
In that company, the tail is wagging the dog, with interns making decisions.
When a small group dictates policy, it's the tail wagging the dog.
It is very difficult to change someone's long-established habits or methods.
老狗學不會新把戲
My grandfather refuses to use a smartphone; you can't teach an old dog new tricks.
She tried to learn coding but gave up, saying you can't teach an old dog new tricks.
To allow someone to suffer or be punished unfairly, as if they are worthless.
犧牲某人
The company threw the junior staff to the dogs to avoid blame.
He felt his boss threw him to the dogs during the audit.
If someone else can do a task for you, there is no point in doing it yourself.
何必自己動手
Why keep a dog and bark yourself? Let the assistant handle it.
He does all the work himself, but why keep a dog and bark yourself?
dog — 動詞
1. to follow a person or animal very closely, often in a way that feels annoying, t
緊跟；糾纏
持續跟在某人後面
to follow a person or animal very closely, often in a way that feels annoying, threatening, or persistent.
A stray cat had been dogging Mira's steps all the way home, hoping for food.
一隻流浪貓一路緊跟著 Mira 回家，希望能夠要到食物。
pattern: dog someone's steps
The reporter dogged the politician for three days, waiting outside every building he entered.
那名記者連續三天緊跟著那位政治人物，在他進入的每棟大樓外等候。
A police car dogged the suspicious van along the highway for nearly ten kilometres.
一輛警車沿著高速公路緊跟著那輛可疑廂型車，跟了將近十公里。
passive/active: police car dogged the van
Caleb's little brother dogged him around the house all afternoon, asking to play video games.
Caleb 的弟弟整個下午跟在他屁股後面，吵著要玩電動。
The paparazzi dogged the actress every time she tried to go shopping alone.
狗仔隊每次那名女演員獨自出門逛街時就緊緊跟著她。
common subject: paparazzi
- dog someone's steps
- dog someone's heels
文法句型
dog + someone
用法筆記
Often carries a negative connotation of unwanted attention or harassment. Stronger and more persistent than 'follow'.
常見錯誤
2. to cause continuous difficulty, worry, or problems for a person, project, or org
困擾；折磨
持續造成問題或煩惱
to cause continuous difficulty, worry, or problems for a person, project, or organization over a period of time.
Technical problems have dogged the new train system since the day it opened.
技術問題從新地鐵系統啟用的第一天起就一直困擾著它。
abstract subject: technical problems dog + project
A series of injuries dogged the athlete throughout her final season of competition.
一連串的傷勢在她最後一個賽季中持續困擾著那位運動員。
The restaurant has been dogged by complaints about slow service for months.
那家餐廳已經連續幾個月被顧客投訴服務速度太慢的問題所困擾。
passive: be dogged by [problems]
Doubts about the safety of the building dogged the construction company until they fixed the foundation.
對建築安全的疑慮一直困擾著建商，直到他們修好了地基。
- dogged by problems
- dogged by controversy
- dogged by injuries
文法句型
dog + someone/something
用法筆記
The subject is typically an abstract problem (rumours, doubts, injuries, technical faults), not a person doing the dogging. Frequently appears in news reporting.
常見錯誤
dog — 形容詞
1. relating to dogs or having qualities associated with dogs, such as loyalty or ke
狗的；犬類
與狗有關的
relating to dogs or having qualities associated with dogs, such as loyalty or keen senses.
The dog food aisle at the supermarket has dozens of different brands for every breed.
超市的狗食區有幾十種不同品牌，適合各種品種的狗。
compound: dog food
Charlotte bought a new dog bed that has a removable cover for easy washing.
Charlotte 買了一張新的狗床，床套可以拆下來清洗。
The school's dog training programme teaches students how to care for and handle animals.
學校的狗訓練課程教導學生如何照顧和處理動物。
compound: dog training
Strong dog odour can build up if you do not bathe your pet regularly.
如果不定期幫寵物洗澡，狗味會變得很重。
- dog food
- dog breed
- dog owner
- dog bed
- dog training
- dog show
- dog odour
- canine
formal; used in scientific or medical contexts
文法句型
dog + noun
用法筆記
This sense is attributive only — it appears before a noun (dog food, dog breed, dog owner). It is not used predicatively (*This food is dog).
2. describing something that is not genuine, of poor quality, or not functioning as
劣質；仿冒
品質低劣或非正品
describing something that is not genuine, of poor quality, or not functioning as it should.
Tunde's cheap night-market watch was a dog — it stopped ticking after one day.
Tunde 在夜市買的便宜手錶是個爛貨——才戴一天就停了。
predicative: turned out to be a dog
Critics called the new tablet a dog because the screen cracked during the very first drop test.
評論家說那款新平板電腦是劣質品，因為螢幕在第一次跌落測試就裂了。
pattern: called + noun + a dog
The so-called designer handbag Mira bought was a total dog — the straps broke the first time she used it.
Mira 買的那個所謂設計師包包完全是個爛貨——她第一次用肩帶就斷了。
collocation: total dog
Ari thought he had found a bargain, but the used laptop was a real dog that crashed every ten minutes.
Ari 自以為撿到便宜，但那台二手筆電根本是個爛貨，每十分鐘就當機一次。
collocation: a real dog
- a real dog
- a total dog
- a complete dog
文法句型
a dog
a real dog
a total dog
用法筆記
Very informal and not widely used. The 'inferior' sense is typically used predicatively — 'that phone is a real dog' — rather than as an attributive adjective before a noun. Common in American English for products, films, or vehicles that fail expectations. More formal equivalents include 'substandard', 'shoddy', or 'defective'.
dog — 副詞
1. used before certain adjectives to mean 'extremely' or 'completely', emphasising
極其；非常
加強語氣，表示達到極點
used before certain adjectives to mean 'extremely' or 'completely', emphasising the state described.
After hiking up the mountain for six hours, Hao was dog-tired and could barely stand.
Hao 爬山爬了六個小時後累得要命，幾乎站不起來。
compound: dog-tired (extremely tired)
The children came home dog-hungry after playing football in the park all afternoon.
孩子們在公園踢了一下午足球後，餓得要命地回到家。
The vegetables at the local market were dog cheap — a whole bag of tomatoes cost less than a dollar.
當地市場的蔬菜便宜得要命——一整袋番茄不到一塊美金。
adverbial: dog cheap (extremely cheap)
The mountain trail was dog rough, and even experienced hikers struggled to keep their footing.
那條山路崎嶇得要命，連經驗豐富的登山客都很難站穩腳步。
adverbial: dog rough (extremely rough)
- dog-tired
- dog-hungry
- dog cheap
- dog rough
- completely
neutral; works with many more adjectives
- utterly
formal; strong emphasis
- dead
informal intensifier (dead tired, dead serious)
文法句型
dog + adjective
用法筆記
Only used in a fixed set of constructions. 'Dog-tired' is the most common compound. 'Dog cheap' and 'dog rough' are colloquial adverbial uses preceding an adjective without a hyphen. Does not behave like a normal adverb — it only works before a small set of adjectives describing negative or intense states.
常見錯誤
dog — 慣用語
to avoid talking about a past problem or disagreement so that it does not cause trouble again.
別惹麻煩；不要翻舊帳
Lucas wanted to ask about the old argument, but Amihan said it was better to let sleeping dogs lie.
The committee decided to let sleeping dogs lie rather than reopen the debate about the budget.
everyone will eventually have a moment of success, happiness, or good fortune, no matter how unlucky they seem now.
風水輪流轉；人人皆有得意時
Mert kept practising every day, believing that every dog has its day and his chance would come.
The team had lost ten games in a row, but the coach reminded them that every dog has its day.
dog eat dog
idiomdescribing a very competitive situation where people are willing to harm others to succeed.
殘酷競爭；弱肉強食
The real estate business in the city is dog eat dog — agents will do anything to close a deal.
In the dog-eat-dog world of fashion, even close friends can become rivals overnight.
a dog's life
idioma life full of problems, hard work, and unhappiness.
悲慘的生活；牛馬不如的生活
Tanvi felt she was leading a dog's life — working two jobs and still struggling to pay the rent.
The old fisherman said he had lived a dog's life, with nothing but bad luck and rough seas.
rain cats and dogs
idiomto rain very heavily.
傾盆大雨
The picnic was cancelled because it rained cats and dogs all morning without stopping.
Caleb forgot his umbrella and got soaked when it started raining cats and dogs on his way home.
top dog
idiomthe person who is the most important, powerful, or successful in a group.
老大；龍頭；領頭羊
After years of hard work, Sofia became the top dog in the company's marketing department.
In the world of smartphones, one brand has been the top dog for nearly a decade.
underdog
idioma person, team, or group that is expected to lose in a competition or against a stronger opponent.
弱勢者；不被看好的一方
Everyone loves cheering for the underdog when a small team beats the champions.
Hao's boxing coach told him that being the underdog meant he had nothing to lose.