Meaning & use
dog shit
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Meanings
noununcountablevulgar
A crude word for the waste that a dog leaves behind.
Grammar: Used without an or an: step in dog shit.
Patterns
- step in dog shit
- clean up dog shit
Be careful not to step in dog shit on the sidewalk.
Neighbors complained about dog shit left on the lawn.
The park sign reminds owners to pick up dog shit.
noununcountablevulgarfigurative
A crude way of saying that something is of very low quality or is worthless.
Grammar: Used figuratively and rudely: this tastes like dog shit.
Patterns
- like dog shit
- treat someone like dog shit
Critics said the film was dog shit and walked out.
He felt like dog shit after only three hours of sleep.
The old radio sounded like dog shit through those speakers.
Common combinations
- step in dog shit
- He stepped in dog shit right outside the door.
- pick up dog shit
- Owners must pick up dog shit in public parks.
- smell like dog shit
- The old basement smelled like dog shit after the flood.
- feel like dog shit
- I feel like dog shit after the long flight.
- treat someone like dog shit
- Describing a boss who treats staff like dog shit shows how upset a person is.
Synonyms and how they differ
- dog mess
- Dog mess is the polite, neutral way to refer to the same thing and suits signs and conversation with strangers.
- dog poop
- Dog poop is mild and casual, while dog shit is coarse and can offend.
- dog droppings
- Dog droppings is the formal phrase used in official notices, unlike the crude dog shit.
- crap
- Crap is slightly milder than shit and works for low quality, but does not refer to dogs specifically.
Word family
Practice
A park sign aimed at the general public would most appropriately say 'Please clean up after your dog and remove all ____.'
Choose one answer.
Dog droppings is neutral and official in tone, which suits a public sign. The other choices are crude or too casual for that setting.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “dog shit”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.