1
2
: a mean or despicable person
3
: dogfish
4
: a person who pursues like a hound
especially
: one who avidly seeks or collects something
autograph hounds
hounded; hounding; hounds
1
: to pursue with or as if with hounds
2
: to drive or affect by persistent harassing
hounder
noun
Synonyms
Examples of hound in a Sentence
Noun
in the yard an old hound greeted us with a single bark
a camera hound even before the baby arrived, he's now become obsessive
Verb
He is being hounded by the press.
They hounded me with questions.
They hounded me for my autograph.
hound a politician out of office
Recent Examples on the Web
Don Wirth, Field & Stream, 4 Apr. 2024
The Legislature asked for tighter controls on such dogs after some residents complained about property damage and alarming run-ins with packs of hounds.
—Jenna Russell, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2024
The weather may be warming up and powder hounds are eking out the last few weeks of ski season, but Vail Resorts wants skiers and riders to start thinking about next season by putting its Epic Pass on sale for 2024 and 2025.
—Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 5 Mar. 2024
Gossip hounds suspected the other man was Simpson —and that their union produced Khloe, who does bear a striking resemblance to him.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2024
On the day of the verdict, autograph hounds, T-shirt vendors, street preachers and paparazzi engulfed the courthouse steps.
—Robert D. McFadden, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024
The former isn’t exclusively a Christmas tradition, but a celebration of the town’s Scottish merchant founders that features a procession of kilt wearers with colorful tartans, pipe and drum bands, and terriers and hounds.
—Chris Kelly, Washington Post, 30 Nov. 2023
Outside the museum, Koons’ giant hound of marigolds and begonias punctuates her point perfectly.
—Christian House, CNN, 18 Mar. 2024
Lions bay up in high places, and the hounds follow.
—Bill Heavey, Field & Stream, 1 Feb. 2024
Lauren Lassabe Shepherd, The Conversation, 26 Apr. 2024
Rui Hachimura hounded Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, slowing him some, while the Lakers’ guards doubled and recovered.
—Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2024
The Lopes intimidated Saint Mary’s big men and hounded the guards, Aiden Mahaney and Augustus Marciulionis, into 8-of-30 shooting and a bevy of turnovers.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 23 Mar. 2024
In addition to the coyote baiting and hounding ban, Vermont Senate Bill 258 would dismantle and restructure the board with members from varied backgrounds through a new selection process.
—Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 20 Mar. 2024
Health care providers say customers will be hounded less as companies consolidate their notification systems.
—Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN, 16 Mar. 2024
After the news broke, he was hounded with questions by festivalgoers.
—Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Mar. 2024
Royal women, in particular, have been routinely hounded about medical matters to an unreasonable degree.
—Elise Taylor, Vogue, 22 Mar. 2024
Debt collectors would hound her mother to pay the medical bill even while Taylor was in the hospital.
—Nushrat Rahman, Detroit Free Press, 13 Mar. 2024
Noun
The fish were spawning, bunched in the shallows thicker than fleas on a hound.
—Don Wirth, Field & Stream, 4 Apr. 2024
The Legislature asked for tighter controls on such dogs after some residents complained about property damage and alarming run-ins with packs of hounds.
—Jenna Russell, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2024
The weather may be warming up and powder hounds are eking out the last few weeks of ski season, but Vail Resorts wants skiers and riders to start thinking about next season by putting its Epic Pass on sale for 2024 and 2025.
—Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 5 Mar. 2024
Gossip hounds suspected the other man was Simpson —and that their union produced Khloe, who does bear a striking resemblance to him.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2024
On the day of the verdict, autograph hounds, T-shirt vendors, street preachers and paparazzi engulfed the courthouse steps.
—Robert D. McFadden, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024
The former isn’t exclusively a Christmas tradition, but a celebration of the town’s Scottish merchant founders that features a procession of kilt wearers with colorful tartans, pipe and drum bands, and terriers and hounds.
—Chris Kelly, Washington Post, 30 Nov. 2023
Outside the museum, Koons’ giant hound of marigolds and begonias punctuates her point perfectly.
—Christian House, CNN, 18 Mar. 2024
Lions bay up in high places, and the hounds follow.
—Bill Heavey, Field & Stream, 1 Feb. 2024
Verb
Meanwhile, right-wing activists hounded college leaders with public pressure campaigns by collecting signatures from students and alumni that called on them to put an end to campus demonstrations.
—Lauren Lassabe Shepherd, The Conversation, 26 Apr. 2024
Rui Hachimura hounded Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, slowing him some, while the Lakers’ guards doubled and recovered.
—Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2024
The Lopes intimidated Saint Mary’s big men and hounded the guards, Aiden Mahaney and Augustus Marciulionis, into 8-of-30 shooting and a bevy of turnovers.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 23 Mar. 2024
In addition to the coyote baiting and hounding ban, Vermont Senate Bill 258 would dismantle and restructure the board with members from varied backgrounds through a new selection process.
—Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 20 Mar. 2024
Health care providers say customers will be hounded less as companies consolidate their notification systems.
—Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN, 16 Mar. 2024
After the news broke, he was hounded with questions by festivalgoers.
—Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Mar. 2024
Royal women, in particular, have been routinely hounded about medical matters to an unreasonable degree.
—Elise Taylor, Vogue, 22 Mar. 2024
Debt collectors would hound her mother to pay the medical bill even while Taylor was in the hospital.
—Nushrat Rahman, Detroit Free Press, 13 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hound.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near hound
Cite this Entry
“Hound.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hound. Accessed 30 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hound
1 of 2 noun2
: a dog of any of various hunting breeds having large drooping ears and a deep voice and following their prey by scent or sight
hound
2 of 2 verb
: to pursue with or as if with hounds
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