puppy

puppy — noun

1. a very young dog, especially one that still needs its mother's care and has not

1.nounA2
Definition

a very young dog, especially one that still needs its mother's care and has not yet grown to its full adult size

Example

Theo's new puppy was so small it could sleep in a shoe box.

Eri feeds her puppy at six o'clock every morning before school.

collocation: feed + puppy

Common collocations
  • a litter of puppies
  • puppy food
  • puppy training
  • adopt a puppy
  • house-train a puppy
  • puppy dog eyes
Synonyms
  • pup

    shorter, more neutral term used by breeders and vets; also applies to young seals and otters

  • dog

    the adult animal; puppy refers specifically to the young stage

Antonyms
  • adult dog

    a fully grown dog that has passed the puppy stage

Grammar Patterns

a + puppy

plural: puppies

Common Mistakes

My cat had three puppies.
My cat had three kittens.
a puppy is a baby dog, not a baby cat.
Look at the lion puppy!
Look at the lion cub!
the young of large wild cats are called cubs, not puppies.

2. a young man who behaves in a rude, overconfident way that annoys other people, o

2.nounC1
Definition

a young man who behaves in a rude, overconfident way that annoys other people, often because he lacks real experience or skill

Example

The senior engineer called the new hire a puppy for bragging about his degree.

pejorative use: call + [person] + a puppy

That arrogant puppy thinks he knows more than the entire management team.

phrasal pattern: that + [adjective] + puppy

Common collocations
  • that arrogant puppy
  • a spoiled puppy
  • call someone a puppy
Synonyms
  • brat

    focuses on childish, selfish behaviour rather than arrogance; often describes a spoiled child

  • upstart

    more formal, about someone who has risen to a position too quickly and behaves arrogantly

  • whippersnapper

    old-fashioned and humorous; a cheeky young person, not truly threatening

Antonyms
  • gentleman

    a polite, respectful, well-mannered young man

Grammar Patterns

call + [person] + a puppy

that + [adjective] + puppy

Usage Note

Always pejorative and dismissive when applied to a person. Commonly appears in the structures 'call someone a puppy', 'that arrogant puppy', and 'a spoiled puppy'. Unlike sense 1, this sense cannot be used affectionately.

Common Mistakes

He is a young puppy who works very hard.
The senior staff called him a puppy for interrupting the meeting.
puppy is always insulting when used for a person; it cannot be used as a neutral or positive description.

Word family

  • pup
    nounB1
  • puppyish
    adjectiveC1
  • puppyhood
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For the meaning 'young dog', puppy is the everyday word that carries a warm, affectionate tone — children beg to keep a puppy, families adopt one from a shelter. Pup is a shorter, more neutral alternative used by breeders and veterinarians ('The pups were weaned at six weeks') and is also the word for the young of seals and otters. Dog is the general term for the adult animal of any breed — calling an adult dog a puppy would sound odd unless you mean it behaves playfully. Cub refers to the young of large wild mammals such as lions, bears, wolves, and foxes. Learners sometimes confuse cub with puppy because the baby animals look similar, but a bear cub and a puppy belong to entirely different species.

puppy ↗pupdog ↗cub ↗

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Puppy entered English in the late 1400s from Old French 'poupée', meaning 'doll' or 'toy'. The word first referred to a small toy dog kept as a lapdog; by the 1500s the meaning had expanded to any young dog. The French term traces back to Latin 'pūpa', meaning 'girl' or 'doll'. The insulting sense for a young man — someone who is arrogant and inexperienced — appeared in the late 1500s, comparing his behaviour to that of a spoiled, untrained puppy.