dog it

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

To underperform; to lag behind; to fail to exert effort.

Register: slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

The boss made him do extra cleaning work, because he was caught dogging it on his prior assignment.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “dog it” mean?

To underperform; to lag behind; to fail to exert effort.

Is “dog it” formal or informal?

dog it is generally slang.