HOUNDS Synonyms: 339 Similar and Opposite Words

hounds 1 of 2

noun

Definition of hounds

plural of hound

as in dogs

a domestic mammal that is related to the wolves and foxes in the yard an old hound greeted us with a single bark

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as in lovers

a person with a strong and habitual liking for something a camera hound even before the baby arrived, he's now become obsessive

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as in villains

a mean, evil, or unprincipled person a no-good sneaky hound who disappeared with the lottery winnings he was supposed to share

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as in bastards

a person whose behavior is offensive to others nobody could stand that low-down hound and his penchant for mean-spirited pranks

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hounds

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of hound

as in chases

to go after or on the track of after the scandal came to light, the politician was hounded by reporters night and day

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as in nags

to subject (someone) to constant scoldings and sharp reminders kept hounding his mother to let him drive her car until she gave in

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of hounds

Noun

The first closed the spring bear season and ended the use of bait and hounds to pursue black bears. — Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026 In March, Mattel dolled up Williams in honor of International Women’s Day, putting the toy in a smart hounds tooth pantsuit and pearls to highlight her entrepreneurial side. — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2026 Nesher, who made the 1970 iconic local hit The Band (a kind of Israeli M*A*S*H), used an unorthodox development practice reminiscent of Mike Leigh and other art-meets-life Method hounds. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026 The interiors manage to ooze heritage without needing oil paintings of hounds or floral pelmets. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026 We were greeted at the gate by three galloping horses and over a dozen hounds, who gracefully led us to the castle, where we were met by the delightful staff. — Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 29 Sep. 2026 Honoring the long association between horses and hounds, the stunning farm-charm-esque property welcomes pups with open arms and offers terrace-level suites for convenient lodging and potty breaks. — Rebecca R. Norris, USA Today, 31 July 2026 Christina Bluhme was high on the flanks of Britain's tallest mountain with her dogs and one of the hounds was a lot higher — and not in a good way. — ABC News, 13 July 2026 The space does not have a liquor license and, for now, will function as an under-the-radar gathering spot for music and culture hounds, Brown said, as well as other programming. — John Wenzel, Denver Post, 8 July 2026

Verb

Gen might have gotten away scot-free from the sheets incident in terms of optics — no one questions her involvement, even though her job description includes housekeeping — but karma hounds her during the first day of the charter. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 21 July 2026 Vavassori hounds the net with his teradactyl-like wingspan. — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hounds

Noun

But using dogs to investigate crimes wasn’t widely adopted until the mid ‘80s, Gould said.

— Natasha Holt, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
The study found that larger dogs lose 35% more LINE1 methylation than smaller dogs.

— Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of dogs

Noun

Rival fans were quick to jump all over this fact, given that both the Panthers and the Tkachuk brothers were seen as polarizing villains throughout the NHL.

— Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026
There are no villains or scary scenes in this gentle story about a young witch finding her way in the world.

— Anna Earl, Parents, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of villains

Noun

Lee and his Burning co-writer Oh Jung-mi resist what might have been the first instinct of many filmmakers by refusing to make Ye-ji and Sang-woo overly patronizing rich jerks.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2026
The Ars OpenForum is a place for readers to ask questions, compare notes, argue (without being jerks to each other), and go down all sorts of rabbit holes.

— Eric Bangeman, ArsTechnica, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of jerks

Noun

For the Bills fans, the store opening is bringing a slice of home and Upstate New York.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 17 Oct. 2026
Benjamin Satterley, known to wrestling fans around the world as Pac, died last month of bronchial asthma, the medical examiner’s office in Cook County, Illinois, confirmed Friday.

— Rudy Chinchilla, NBC news, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of fans

Noun

These brutes commonly exceed 50 pounds.

— Keith Sutton, Outdoor Life, 18 June 2026
In Raspail’s tale, hordes of impoverished and dark-skinned brutes from India descend onto French shores by way of rafts, the first wave of an invasion of the civilized West by the brown-skinned developing world.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Apr. 2026

Definition of brutes

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hounding

hounds

hourglass

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“Hounds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hounds. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of hounds

noun

verb

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