What does dingoed mean?
"Dingoed" is the past tense and past participle of the informal Australian verb "dingo", which means to abandon someone or to break a promise or arrangement, especially by simply failing to appear. The word draws on the reputation of the dingo, Australia's wild dog, as a symbol of cowardice and unreliability, so calling someone's behaviour "dingoing" is mildly mocking or derisive. It is used almost exclusively in casual conversation in Australia, typically about social plans, sporting commitments, or informal deals that fall through: a friend who promised a lift but never turned up has "dingoed on you". Because it is slang rather than standard English, it is best avoided in formal writing, and most readers outside Australia will be unfamiliar with it.
verbPast tense and past participle of 'dingo', an Australian informal verb meaning to abandon, betray, or fail to keep a commitment, especially by failing to turn up for something one had promised.
- To have abandoned or failed someone by not honouring a commitment; to have backed out of an arrangement.
"We were counting on him for the match, but he dingoed on us at the last minute."
"He dingoed on his mates again and never showed at the barbecue."
"The buyer dingoed at settlement, leaving the seller stranded."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dingoed
The verb derives directly from the noun "dingo", the name of the Australian wild dog, which entered English from the Aboriginal Dharuk language word "din-go" in the late eighteenth century. The figurative verb arose in Australian English, playing on the animal's perceived cowardice or treachery.
Related word forms
How dingoed is actually used
Strictly colloquial Australian usage, derived from the wild dog's reputation for cowardice or treachery. Rare outside Australia and considered very informal.