dolphin hugger
- noun
- /ˈdɑlfɪn ˈhʌɡər/
- Informal
:
defensor de los delfines
- She was called a dolphin hugger because of her passionate efforts to save endangered species of dolphins.
Examples
-
Many environmental groups are led by dedicated dolphin huggers fighting for stricter marine protections.
-
Critics sometimes dismiss activists as mere dolphin huggers, but their work has real environmental impact.
-
She is a passionate dolphin hugger.
-
Are you a dolphin hugger too?
-
Many environmental organizations rely on dolphin huggers to advocate for the protection of ocean wildlife.
-
As a dolphin hugger, he dedicated much of his time to raising awareness about the threats dolphins face.
-
The documentary showcased a group of dolphin huggers working together to rescue stranded marine animals.
Synonyms
9
8.2
A person who wants to protect trees and nature, sometimes used as an insult
A person who cares for pandas and works to protect them
A person who cares a lot about animals, especially rabbits
How Supportive
6
3.7
- Informal
22
5.5
305
2.8
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a person who strongly supports or cares for dolphins' is directly derived from combining 'dolphin' (the animal) with 'hugger' (someone who hugs or shows affection), so the overall sense is compositional. The productive pattern 'X-hugger' (e.g., 'tree-hugger') conveys a supporter/lover of X and is likely recognizable to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.
Etymology
The noun dolphin hugger comes from the image of someone hugging a dolphin, a way people used to make fun of those who cared a lot about sea animals. So, it now means 'a person who strongly supports the protection of marine life'.