dog’s life

D

live or lead a dog’s life

Meaning

• a miserable and unpleasant life
• a miserable, unhappy existence
• to lead a drab or boring life

Example Sentences

1. Mark’s been leading a dog’s life since he was fired from the job.
2. He’s been living a dog’s life since his wife left him.
3. Poor Richard really leads a dog’s life.
4. I’ve been working so hard. I’m tired of living a dog’s life.
5. I’ve got to go to the market, then cook a meal, then pick Davis up from the airport – it’s a dog’s life.

Origin

This Idiomatic expression was first recorded in a 16th-century manuscript and alluded to the miserable subservient existence of dogs during this era. By the 1660s, there was a proverb: “It’s a dog’s life, hunger and ease.”

Animal, Dog