cat-and-dog

A cat-and-dog political debate filled the television screen.

Definition

Adjective: - Characterized by constant conflict or intense disagreement: "cat-and-dog" describes a relationship, especially between people or animals, marked by continuous quarreling, hostility, or fierce competition.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • They have a cat-and-dog marriage, always arguing about money. (Their relationship is perpetually quarrelsome.)
  • The election turned into a cat-and-dog contest between the two candidates. (The competition was extremely bitter and aggressive.)

Advanced Usage

• "a cat-and-dog life": a life full of constant bickering or strife.

  • Living with his siblings was a cat-and-dog existence, with fights breaking out daily. (Their daily life was characterized by endless conflict.)

• "cat-and-dog weather": (rare, informal) very stormy or turbulent weather.

  • We had cat-and-dog weather all weekend, with heavy rain and strong winds. (The weather was harsh and violent.)

Variants and Related Words

• Cat-and-dog (phrase, used attributively): always placed before a noun to describe the nature of the conflict.
  • Their cat-and-dog relationship exhausted everyone around them. (The relationship was defined by constant fighting.)

Synonyms

• Contentious: causing or likely to cause disagreement.
• Quarrelsome: inclined to argue or disagree frequently.
• Antagonistic: showing active hostility or opposition.

Related Idioms

• Fight like cats and dogs: to argue or fight fiercely and constantly.

  • The two brothers fight like cats and dogs over the remote control. (They argue violently over a trivial matter.)

• Lead a cat-and-dog life: to live in a state of perpetual discord.

  • After years of leading a cat-and-dog life, they finally decided to separate. (Their marriage was filled with endless quarrels.)