Dog tired
What is an idiom? An idiom is a phrase or expression. They are tricky to understand as their meanings do not directly relate to the individual words used in the phrase.
Definition:
The English idiom "dog tired" means to be extremely tired or exhausted. It is used to describe someone who is worn out, either physically or mentally, after doing a lot of work or activity.
Origin:
The idiom likely comes from observing the behavior of working dogs, especially those used for hunting, herding, or labor. These dogs would often work until they were completely exhausted, leading to the phrase being associated with extreme fatigue. Over time, it became a common way to describe being very tired.
Examples:
Today the idiom is used in different everyday situations to express exhaustion.
Here are examples of how the idiom can be used in sentences:
Business context:
"After working a 12-hour shift, I was dog tired when I got home."
"He stayed up all night finishing the project, and by the morning, he was dog tired."
Social context:
"After cleaning the whole house and running errands all day, I’m dog tired."
"Taking care of three kids all day left her dog tired by the evening."
Travel context:
"After a long flight and hours in the airport, I was dog tired by the time I arrived home."
"We drove for 10 hours straight, and by the time we reached our hotel, we were dog tired."
"I walked my dog ten miles today. I’m dog tired. And so is the dog!"
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