dog-weary

English

Adjective

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

1. Extremely weary.
   • c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]:

     O master, master, I have watched so long / That I am dog-weary, but at last I spied […]

   • 1805, Stephen Jones, Charles Molloy Westmacott, “Cat versus Dog”, in Spirit of the Public Journals, volume 8, page 51:

     "He is a very dog to the community", and I am grown quite "dog-weary" of hearing of his fame.

   • 1914 November, E.L., “From the Outposts”, in Blackwood's Magazine, volume 196, number 1189, page 603:

     Many hours later the raiders were still retreating before the squadron from Mia Khan Killa: they had lost heavily, with no gain to show, and their leader would have a nasty time at the "rendezvous" in the morning: all were dog-weary, and perhaps they moved with less precaution than usual: the meeting-place was near water, of course, but there was no absolute reason why they should all be around it at the same time, and of all bad times for carelessness just when day was lighting up the valleys: there was a lot of weary talk about a new leader, accompanied by a considerable amount of cursing the old one—although they did not know it he had already paid the price, he was the last man shot in the tower.

   • 1917, Joseph Henry Curtis, As Long as There is a Single Apple Tree Left, New England Never Can be Made Bone Dry is the Message Received by Joseph Henry Curtis from a Friend, a Wise Old Apple, page 44:

     While at times he is dog weary, at other times he is dog tired and often Dog-gone.

   • 2004, Audrey Howard, Reflections from the Past:

     Was it the child for whom he had longed or was it the woman herself who had turned him into this hagged, heavy-eyed, dog-weary man who could not rest until they were returned to him?

   • 2010, Kate Atkinson, Started Early, Took My Dog, page 69:

     Tracy was flagging. She had read somewhere that shops and museums were the most tiring places for people. The kid looked dog-weary.

   • 2021, Talbot Mundy, Jungle Jest:

     Diana, dog-weary, flopped and fell asleep under the ancient arch, but Ommony walked to the tool-house and interrupted Jannath's meditations.

Synonyms

• dog-tired