mad dog
3
7.9
- noun
- /mæd dɔg/
- Offensive
:
perro rabioso
- He became a mad dog during the argument, shouting and throwing things everywhere.
Examples
-
When he didn't get his way, he acted like a mad dog, lashing out at everyone around him.
-
Her behavior at the meeting was like a mad dog, wildly unpredictable and aggressive.
-
You can be as mad as a mad dog at the way things went.
-
And do you know what they do with mad dogs?
-
What do you do with a mad dog?
-
Would you get off my back, you mad dog?
-
Bunch of mad dogs, that's what they were.
-
I swear to God, there's a mad dog down the street apiece.
-
Mad dogs running wild.
-
"Picking up her briefcase and purse, she said firmly, "I'm a prosecutor, a mad dog."
Fiction book (1993)
Synonyms
149
8.1
A person who behaves wildly and dangerously and may hurt others
95
6.4
A man who acts very strangely or dangerously and may be mentally ill
52
8.6
A person who behaves very strangely and may be dangerous
51
6.2
A person who acts in a wild or reckless way
2
9.1
A person who acts in a very angry, dangerous, or unpredictable way
1
8.4
A person who is very aggressive to protect their friends or area
1
7.9
A person who does risky things without thinking
1
8.8
A person who acts in a way that seems crazy
A person who behaves in a very strange and unreasonable way that worries others
A very fierce and ruthless person in competition or fights
Very silly or clearly crazy
Antonyms
How Aggressive
- Offensive
3
7.9
- Offensive
149
8.1
- Offensive
301
3.2
- Offensive
23
6.2
- Offensive
69
4.1
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a person who acts in a wildly aggressive or irrational manner' is directly derivable from combining 'mad' (wildly irrational/angry) with 'dog' (used colloquially for a person); the animal-based insult pattern is transparent and widely attested cross-linguistically. A B1 learner who knows both words can reasonably infer the figurative sense without prior exposure.
Etymology
The noun mad dog comes from the image of a dog sick with rabies: a mad dog bites and acts wildly, without control. So calling someone a mad dog compares them to that dangerous animal and means they are 'very aggressive or not thinking clearly'.