dogged

adjective

dog·​ged ˈdȯ-gəd 

: marked by stubborn determination

a dogged competitor

dogged devotion

doggedly adverb

doggedness noun

Synonyms

• insistent
• patient
• persevering
• persistent
• pertinacious
• tenacious

Choose the Right Synonym for dogged

obstinate, dogged, stubborn, pertinacious, mulish mean fixed and unyielding in course or purpose.

obstinate implies usually an unreasonable persistence.

an obstinate proponent of conspiracy theories

dogged suggests an admirable often tenacious and unwavering persistence.

pursued the story with dogged perseverance

stubborn implies sturdiness in resisting change which may or may not be admirable.

a person too stubborn to admit error

pertinacious suggests an annoying or irksome persistence.

a pertinacious salesclerk refusing to take no for an answer

mulish implies a thoroughly unreasonable obstinacy.

a mulish determination to have his own way

Examples of dogged in a Sentence

Her dogged efforts eventually paid off.

a dogged pursuit of power

Recent Examples on the Web

Though the Dodgers reportedly had the most funds available to spend on the 2024 class, Sasaki’s apparent shift to the 2025 class should not sway much in what is expected to be a dogged pursuit of the Japanese right-hander. —Fabian Ardaya, The Athletic, 10 Dec. 2024

The test came back and revealed the Warriors didn’t have enough shooters, nor enough playmakers to handle Minnesota’s dogged ball pressure. —Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 7 Dec. 2024

This was a story about someone who had identified an obstacle and, through dogged accounting, surmounted it. —Alice Gregory, The New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2024

If successful, Raskin would be a counterpoint to Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), the dogged chairman of the committee who has been an effective defender of President-elect Donald Trump. —Cami Mondeaux, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 2 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see dog entry 1

First Known Use

1700, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

dogged

adjective

dog·​ged ˈdȯ-gəd 

: stubbornly determined : tenacious

in dogged pursuit of power

doggedly adverb

doggedness noun