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Glite Dictionary
junkyard dog

junkyard dog

1 8.4
A person who is very aggressive to protect their friends or area
  • noun
  • /ˈdʒʌŋkˌjɑrd dɔg/
  • Informal
translation icon : perro guardián
  • The coach called the player a junkyard dog for his aggressive style on the field.

Examples

  • Mean as a junkyard dog.

    Madea's Big Happy Family (2011)

  • Meaner than a junkyard dog

    Home Alone 3 (1997)

  • We're alike, Fat and me, Seth thought, a couple of beat-up junkyard dogs, too dumb to quit.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • "Why, you junkyard dogs!"

    Fiction book (1990)

  • He is a real junkyard dog when it comes to defending his business.

  • In negotiations, she turned into a junkyard dog, fiercely protecting her company's interests.

Synonyms

mad dog
vsjunkyard dog
  • Offensive
3 7.9

A person who acts violently and without control

shows fierce aggression that is defensive and aims to protect territory or interests

Antonyms

peacekeeper
6 4.1

A person who stops or calms arguments and makes people get along

How Aggressive

junkyard dog
  • Informal
1 8.4
enforcer
  • NSFW
27 7.2

Surface Forms

junkyard dog singular
junkyard dogs plural

Morphology

junkyard + dog

The phrase combines 'junkyard' (a rough place full of scrap) with 'dog' (an animal often imagined as a fierce guard), producing a readily inferable image of a scrappy, defensive protector. This compositional metaphor follows an obvious logic found in many languages, so a B1 learner who knows the two constituents would likely deduce the figurative meaning.

Etymology

The phrase junkyard dog comes from the image of a guard dog in a junkyard, a tough, noisy dog that barks and jumps at anyone who comes near. So people call someone a junkyard dog when they fiercely 'protect' their 'territory' or friends.