Hangtail

adj, adv

adj, adv ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Disheartened; low-spirited.

    "Most bridegrooms look ashamed and hangtail."

Adverb
  1. 1
    With the tail hanging limply.

    "The dog trotted hangtail away, and the prairie dog turned his head to check on a flush."

Example

More examples

"The dog trotted hangtail away, and the prairie dog turned his head to check on a flush."

Etymology

From hang + tail, from the way a dog will leave its tail drooping or hanging when frightened or sad.

More for "hangtail"

SynonymsSentencesPronunciationTranslate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciationBrowse writing guides

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.