What does dogged mean?
"Dogged" is an adjective describing someone who pursues a goal with unyielding, almost stubborn determination, refusing to abandon it even in the face of repeated obstacles. A journalist might show dogged persistence in chasing a story; an athlete's dogged training can carry her through years of setbacks. The word derives from the old idea of following something the way a hunting dog tracks its quarry, which gives it its sense of refusal to let go. Its connotations are strongly positive: to call someone dogged is to admire their grit and staying power rather than to criticise their inflexibility. The word takes two syllables when used as an adjective, distinguishing it from the past tense of the verb "to dog," which means to follow or trouble someone relentlessly. Related forms include the adverb "doggedly" and the noun "doggedness."
adjectiveShowing persistent, stubborn determination and refusing to give up despite difficulties or setbacks.
- Stubbornly determined to continue despite difficulty, opposition, or repeated setbacks.
"Her dogged pursuit of the truth eventually forced the documents into the open."
"Through months of rejections, his dogged optimism never wavered."
"The investigation was dogged by leaks from the start, but the team pressed on regardless."
It looks like a past-tense verb, but say it wrong — one syllable instead of two — and you've changed the meaning entirely.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dogged
The word comes from the English noun "dog" via the verb "to dog," which from the sixteenth century meant to follow someone closely and obstinately, as a hunting dog follows its prey. The adjective "dogged" emerged in the early modern period, first attested in the early seventeenth century, describing the kind of grim, unshakeable persistence such tracking implied. Because it was formed natively within English, it has no Latin, Greek, or Romance cognates — its only true relative is the ordinary word "dog" itself, making it a rare case of a common abstract quality named after a household animal.
Related word forms
How dogged is actually used
Almost always carries an approving connotation — admiration for someone who refuses to quit — though in phrases like 'dogged by rumours' the related verbal sense is negative. Standard in both formal journalism and everyday speech; the adverb 'doggedly' and noun 'doggedness' are equally well established.
Easily confused with dogged
As a verb, 'dogged' is the simple past of 'to dog' meaning to follow closely like a hound, pronounced with one syllable (/dɒɡd/), whereas the adjective has two syllables.
'Dog-eared' describes book pages folded over at the corner, while 'dogged' describes stubborn persistence.