Mean-spirited, cruel, or lacking compassion; having the nature or disposition of a dog in a negative sense.
Compound adjective from 'dog' plus 'hearted' (meaning having a certain kind of heart or disposition). This follows the pattern of words like 'kindhearted' and 'hardhearted,' where character traits are expressed through heart symbolism.
It's fascinating how 'dog' can mean loyal and loving in one context ('dogged loyalty') but cruel and base in another ('doghearted')—the same animal symbol meant completely different things depending on the writer's intent.
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