What Does “Hound sb out of sth” Mean?
“Hound sb out of sth” means to force someone to leave a place or position by repeatedly bothering, pressuring, or chasing them away.
Introduction
The phrasal verb “hound sb out of sth” is often used to describe situations where someone is relentlessly pushed or pressured to leave a location, job, or role. The “sb” stands for “somebody,” and “sth” stands for “something.” This phrase usually implies a negative or aggressive action, where the person being hounded feels unwelcome or forced to leave. Understanding the “hound sb out of sth meaning” helps learners recognize when someone is being unfairly pressured or chased away, whether in real life or in stories. It’s a useful expression to describe social, work, or personal conflicts.
Quick Info Box
- Phrasal verb: Hound somebody out of something
- Type: Transitive
- Level: B2 (Upper-Intermediate)
- Short meaning: To force someone to leave a place or position by repeatedly bothering them
Structure (Grammar Rules)
“Hound sb out of sth” is a transitive phrasal verb, which means it requires a direct object (somebody) and often includes a prepositional phrase (out of something).
- Subject + hound + somebody (sb) + out of + something (sth)
- Example: They hounded the employee out of the company.
This phrasal verb is inseparable; you cannot split “hound” and “out of” with the object.
How to Use “Hound sb out of sth”?
Use “hound sb out of sth” when you want to describe someone being forced to leave because of persistent pressure or harassment. It often implies a negative or aggressive context, such as bullying at work or being unfairly treated in a social setting.
It can be used in formal and informal contexts but is more common in spoken English or journalistic writing.
Examples
Imagine a situation where an employee is constantly criticized and eventually decides to quit. You can say:
- The manager’s constant complaints hounded her out of the company.
- The noisy neighbors hounded the family out of their home.
- He was hounded out of the club after the scandal.
Here is “hound sb out of sth in a sentence”: The protesters hounded the politician out of the town hall.
Common Mistakes
People sometimes confuse the word order or use incorrect prepositions when using this phrase.
- Incorrect: They hounded out the employee from the office.
- Correct: They hounded the employee out of the office.
- Incorrect: She was hounded off the company.
- Correct: She was hounded out of the company.
Remember, the correct preposition is always “out of” following the object.
Differences / Synonyms
Similar phrasal verbs include drive sb out of sth and push sb out of sth. These also mean forcing someone to leave.
- Hound sb out of sth suggests repeated bothering or harassment.
- Drive sb out of sth can imply force, often physical or emotional pressure.
- Push sb out of sth is more neutral and can refer to subtle or direct pressure.
The key difference is that “hound” emphasizes persistence and annoyance.
Common Collocations
Here are some common objects and phrases used with “hound sb out of sth”:
- Hound someone out of a job: force someone to quit their job.
- Hound someone out of a town: make someone leave a town or community.
- Hound someone out of a building: force someone to leave a building.
- Hound someone out of office: force a politician or leader to resign.
Related Phrasal Verbs
Here are related phrasal verbs of hound sb out of sth:
Real-life Dialogue
Here is a short conversation using the phrase:
Anna: Did you hear about Tom? They hounded him out of the office last week.
Ben: Really? What happened?
Anna: His boss kept blaming him for everything, so he decided to quit.
Practice
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the phrasal verb:
- The constant harassment ___________ her ___________ the company.
- They ___________ the old shop owner ___________ the neighborhood.
- After the scandal, the mayor was ___________ ___________ office.
Answers: hounded / out of; hounded / out of; hounded / out of
FAQs
- What does “hound sb out of sth” mean? It means forcing someone to leave a place or position by persistent pressure or harassment.
- Is “hound sb out of sth” formal or informal? It is more common in informal or journalistic contexts but can be used in formal writing.
- Can I say “hound sb off sth”? No, the correct preposition is always “out of.”
- What is the difference between “hound sb out of sth” and “drive sb out of sth”? “Hound” suggests persistent harassment, while “drive” implies force or pressure more generally.
- Is “hound sb out of sth” separable? No, it is inseparable; the object must come immediately after “hound.”
