like a bloodhound
1
7.9
- idiom
:
como un sabueso
- She searched for her lost dog like a bloodhound, checking every corner of the neighborhood.
- track like a bloodhound
Examples
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- Do I look like a bloodhound, a professional tracker?
-
And Ferguson is running around in circles like a bloodhound.
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She wandered about the room, her hand quivering, tracking like a bloodhound.
Fiction book (1996) -
The detective followed the clues like a bloodhound, determined to find the missing person.
-
He pursued the lead like a bloodhound, refusing to give up until he uncovered the truth.
Synonyms
Very eager and determined to get something
Antonyms
How Persistent
Surface Forms
Morphology
like + a + bloodhound
The phrase is a straightforward simile: a learner who knows 'bloodhound' (a dog known for tracking) and 'like' will readily infer 'with a keen ability to track or pursue.' The article 'a' adds no idiomatic complexity, and animal-based similes are cross-linguistically common, so the meaning is transparently derived from the parts.
Etymology
Like a bloodhound comes from the dog bloodhound, famous for its very strong nose that can follow a scent for a long time. So when someone works like a bloodhound, it means they search carefully and never give up. They 'track' or 'pursue' a problem until they find the answer.