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a dog-eat-dog world. A society, situation, industry, etc. characterized by ruthless behavior and competition. It's a dog-eat-dog world for students today. Everyone is competing nonstop for awards and recognition.
May 20, 2022 · A dog-eat-dog world is one in which everyone is out for their own personal gain, whether or not their success hurts other people. The expression is synonymous with an “every man for himself” or “survival of the fittest” mentality.
uk / ˌdɒɡ.iːtˈdɒɡ / us / ˌdɑː.ɡ.iːtˈdɑː.ɡ / Add to word list. used to describe a situation in which people will do anything to be successful, even if what they do harms other people: It's a dog-eat-dog world out there. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases. Competing and contending (non-sporting) as a dare. be one up on someone idiom. catchup
Jan 27, 2014 · The Ngram chart in the OP's question suggests that "dog eat dog world" first appeared in print in 1954, and that "doggy dog world" first appeared in 1984. A Google Books search, however, finds earlier instances of both phrases.
Jun 29, 2023 · “A dog-eat-dog world” is one of the most common animal-related expressions in the English language. But what does it mean and where did it come from? And how do you use it correctly?
us / ˌdɑː.ɡ.iːtˈdɑː.ɡ / uk / ˌdɒɡ.iːtˈdɒɡ / Add to word list. used to describe a situation in which people will do anything to be successful, even if what they do harms other people: It's a dog-eat-dog world out there. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases. Competing and contending (non-sporting) as a dare. be one up on someone idiom. catchup
The term “dog eat dog” is a relatively modern idiom that directly contradicts an old Latin saying – canis caninam non est, which means “a dog does not eat the flesh of a dog.”. It is believed that the earliest entry of this idiom in English prints was recorded in 1543.
