Skip to main content
to walk the dog

to walk the dog

26 1.1
To take a dog outside on a leash for exercise
  • phrasal verb
  • /wɔk ðə dɔg/
translation icon : pasear al perro
  • Every morning, I take the time to walk the dog around the neighborhood.
  • go walk the dog
  • walk the dog in the park
  • walk the dog at night

And then just something as simple as walking the dog can just give them so much joy.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • For instance, Bob used to walk his dog before his evening meal.

    Academic text (2010)
  • People were heading home after work, walking their dogs, or coming back from the grocery store.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • I might walk the dog.

  • You told me to walk the dog.

  • I got to walk the dogs.

  • I gotta walk the dogs.

  • I just wanted to know if I could help him walk his dog.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • Well, I think I'll walk the dog.

  • Well, hey, I'm heading out to walk my dog.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • I saw Ed and Liv walk the dog this morning.

Synonyms

to walk a dog
vsto walk the dog
2 1.0

To take a dog outside for exercise, usually on a leash

is for taking a specific dog outside for exercise

Antonyms

336 1.0

Be at home and not go out

How Active

to run
72 5.8
to jog
29 1.0
to walk the dog
26 1.1
to let out
344 1.1

Surface Forms

walk the dog infinitive
walked the dog past participle
walking the dog present participle
walks the dog third person singular

Morphology

walk + the + dog

The meaning is directly and compositionally built from 'walk' (to move on foot or lead an animal) and 'dog' (a pet animal): the phrase describes the action of walking a dog for exercise or toileting. The definite article 'the' is merely grammatical and does not affect compositionality. This verb + object pattern is cross-linguistically common and thus immediately inferable by a B1 learner who knows the constituent words.

Etymology

Walk the dog is a very literal phrase: imagine holding a leash and going for a walk with your dog, guiding it down the street for fresh air and exercise. That's why it means 'to take a dog outside for exercise'.