dog-hearted

English

Alternative forms

• doghearted

Adjective

dog-hearted (comparative more dog-hearted, superlative most dog-hearted)

1. (archaic, rare) Inhuman; cruel.
   • c. 1603–1606 (date written), [William Shakespeare], […] His True Chronicle Historie of the Life and Death of King Lear and His Three Daughters. […] (First Quarto), London: […] Nathaniel Butter, […], published 1608, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii]:

     A ſoueraigne ſhame ſo elbows him his own vnkindnes
     That ſtript her from his benediction turnd her,
     To forraine caſualties gaue her deare rights,
     To his dog-harted daughters […]

   • 1976, R. A. Lafferty, Space Chantey:

     “How many of you dog-hearted giants are left?” Roadstrum called loudly. “Only myself,” came the strong voice of Bjorn. “Come out the two of you and we will see who is dog-hearted.”

   • 2007, Constance Leeds, The Silver Cup:

     “You dog-hearted wretch!” sputtered Martin with water streaming down his hair and face.

   • 2012, Erin Knightley, A Taste For Scandal:

     He'd have to be a dog-hearted barnacle not to taste your good intentions.

   • 2014, Marina Carr, The Cordelia Dream:

     How do the dog-hearted get through the day when they're not ransacking graves?

   • 2016, Yvonne L. Stegman, The Clearsong Chronicles: Battle for Daylight:

     We're gonna drag their dog-hearted king out into the sunlight and watch him sizzle!

   • 2017, Paul Vidich, The Good Assassin:

     A bunch of spleeny dog-hearted farts.

2. Very fond of dogs.
   • 1900, Addison McClung Brownlee, Sermons from the Tripod, page 48:

     Was Abraham Lincoln's mother dog-hearted? Did the mother of Napoleon waste her time crying because her poodle had the colic?

   • 2018, Cara Sue Achterberg ·, Another Good Dog:

     For all the dogs who never make it out the front door of the shelter. For all the shelter employees who have to make the hard decisions. And for all the dog-hearted people who are working tirelessly to change the situation.

   • 2018, Paul W Ivey, Dog-Hearted: My Life Has Gone to the Dogs:

     (see title)

3. Subservient and lowly, like a pet dog.
   • 1954, Louis Grudin, Inky Darkling, page 176:

     The measureless squalor, the calm, house-broken, dog-hearted, subjected, abjected, subtracted, contracted, signed sealed and delivered.

   • 2010, Bob Sjogren, Gerald Robison, Cat & Dog Prayer: Rethinking Our Conversations with Our Master, page 77:

     The blessing we seek from God could be the very thing He curses if we do not stay Dog hearted by remaining focused on Him and the honor due His name.

   • 2018, Tom Sleigh, House of Fact, House of Ruin: Poems, page 50:

     What's in the dog-hearted dog-brained dog's heart?