on its hind legs
3
3.4
- idiom
:
sobre sus patas traseras
- The dog stood on its hind legs to see over the fence.
- standing on its hind legs
- bear standing on its hind legs
- dog standing on its hind legs
Examples
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It's like seeing a dog walk on its hind legs.
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I've just seen a dog on its hind legs walking a human!
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As Anne Marie inches ahead, the bear stands on its hind legs to its full height to meet the challenge.
Fiction book (1993) -
Another sauropod, reaching for a branch high above its head, stands effortlessly on its hind legs.
Fiction book (1993) -
And then lo and behold, he spotted this bear that was on its hind legs smelling some of our meat.
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The mouse stood on its hind legs, front legs striking out like a pugilist's fists, tiny teeth bared.
Fiction book (1994) -
The bear was at least eight feet tall on its hind legs as it searched for food.
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A curious raccoon approached on its hind legs, trying to reach the bird feeder.
Synonyms
28
4.9
To rise up on the back legs, often when frightened
How Upright
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a literal composition of its parts: 'on' (position), 'its' (possessive), 'hind' (rear), and 'legs' (limbs), so a learner who knows these words can readily infer 'standing upright on the back legs.' This construction is cross-linguistically common and follows normal English spatial/animal anatomy patterns, making it immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner.
Etymology
On its hind legs comes from watching animals stand up on their hind legs, like bears or meerkats, so they can see farther or reach something. That's why it means 'standing upright on the back legs', often to look, reach, or to seem bigger.