haggard

[ hag-erd ]

/ ˈhæg ərd /

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adjective

having a gaunt, wasted, or exhausted appearance, as from prolonged suffering, exertion, or anxiety; worn: the haggard faces of the tired troops.

Archaic. wild; wild-looking: haggard eyes.

Falconry. (especially of a hawk caught after it has attained adult plumage) untamed.

noun

Falconry. a wild or untamed hawk caught after it has assumed adult plumage.

OTHER WORDS FOR haggard

1 emaciated, drawn, hollow-eyed.

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OPPOSITES FOR haggard

1 robust.

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CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of haggard

First recorded in 1560–70; originally, “wild female hawk”; see hag¹, -ard

OTHER WORDS FROM haggard

hag·gard·ly, adverbhag·gard·ness, noun

Words nearby haggard

hagfish, Haggada, Haggadah, haggadist, Haggai, haggard, hagged, haggis, haggle, hagia, hagiarchy

Other definitions for haggard (2 of 2)

Haggard

[ hag-erd ]

/ ˈhæg ərd /

noun

(Sir) H(enry) Rider, 1856–1925, English novelist.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use haggard in a sentence

After the longest regular season in history, it looked like a haggard, overextended league.
The NFL chose quantity over quality, and its product suffered|Jerry Brewer|January 18, 2022|Washington Post
As the slow rescue effort dragged on, haggard emergency workers, who have been toiling in 12-hour shifts, stopped by to pause by the memorial wall for a moment, arms crossed.
Miami Is Used to Disasters. The Surfside Collapse Felt Different|Vera Bergengruen / Surfside, Florida|June 29, 2021|Time
She was 14 years old and running around with all those old haggard cowboys, like Merle and Willie Nelson and all of them.
Q&A with Leslie Jordan: Why he made a country album, how Capote saved his life and spending time in the ‘pokey’ with Robert Downey Jr.|Geoff Edgers|April 2, 2021|Washington Post
He took the techniques of H. Rider Haggard and Jules Verne and brought them into the 20th century.
Can Tarzan of the Apes Survive in a Post-Colonial World?|Ted Gioia|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Next day, DSK was perp-walking his way, haggard and grizzled, into infamy.
French Political Sex Movie About DSK Sets Cannes Aquiver|Tracy McNicoll|May 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Now you can summon them instantly on your screen, and track their new life post-you… Is he looking older, more haggard?
Psychologists View Both Divorce and Marriage as Major Life Stresses|Emma Woolf|May 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Or of the fact that Haggard was a Hillary supporter and wrote a song endorsing her candidacy?
Vince Gill Confronts Fringe Groups and Gives Country Some Cred|Malcolm Jones|September 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Looking haggard and ridiculous—this “Amanda Bynes or Gandalf?”
Amanda Bynes Wigs Out|Kevin Fallon|May 24, 2013|DAILY BEAST
It was with a feeling of relief on both sides that the arrival of Mr. Haggard, of the Home Office, was announced.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
His lordship retired shortly to his study, Hetton and Mr. Haggard betook themselves to the billiard-room.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
But we must not class in this unclean category Lord Spunyarn and his friend Haggard, who were both playing at the big table.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
Haggard merely played for the excitement, and Spunyarn because it was a lesser bore to play than to look on.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
Three more coups are played, each of which the banker, that is to say Haggard, wins.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills

British Dictionary definitions for haggard (1 of 3)

haggard¹

/ (ˈhæɡəd) /

adjective

careworn or gaunt, as from lack of sleep, anxiety, or starvation

wild or unruly

(of a hawk) having reached maturity in the wild before being caught

noun

falconry a hawk that has reached maturity before being caughtCompare eyas, passage hawk

Derived forms of haggard

haggardly, adverbhaggardness, noun

Word Origin for haggard

C16: from Old French hagard wild; perhaps related to hedge

British Dictionary definitions for haggard (2 of 3)

haggard²

/ (ˈhæɡərd) /

noun

(in Ireland and the Isle of Man) an enclosure beside a farmhouse in which crops are stored

Word Origin for haggard

C16: related to Old Norse heygarthr, from hey hay + garthr yard

British Dictionary definitions for haggard (3 of 3)

Haggard

/ (ˈhæɡəd) /

noun

Sir (Henry) Rider . 1856–1925, British author of romantic adventure stories, including King Solomon's Mines (1885)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

haggard

OTHER WORDS FOR haggard

OPPOSITES FOR haggard

Origin of haggard

OTHER WORDS FROM haggard

Words nearby haggard

Other definitions for haggard (2 of 2)

Words related to haggard

How to use haggard in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for haggard (1 of 3)

Derived forms of haggard

Word Origin for haggard

British Dictionary definitions for haggard (2 of 3)

Word Origin for haggard

British Dictionary definitions for haggard (3 of 3)