-ard

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a suffix forming nouns that denote persons who regularly engage in an activity, or who are characterized in a certain way, as indicated by the stem; now usually pejorative: coward; dullard; drunkard; wizard.

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Also -art.

Origin of -ard

Middle English <Old French, probably extracted from Frankish compound personal names; compare Old High German Adalhart (French Alard), Bernhart (French Bernard), with 2nd element -hart literally, strong, hardy, hard (cognate with Old English -heard in names), often merely as intensifier of quality denoted in 1st element.

Words nearby -ard

arcuation, arcus, arcus cornealis, arcus senilis, arc welding, -ard, ardeb, Ardebil, Ardèche, ardeid, Ardella

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use -ard in a sentence

Mr Adams said it had not been a unanimous Ard Comhairle decision but there had been a healthy majority.
Queen and Irish Nationalist WILL Shake Hands|Tom Sykes|June 22, 2012|DAILY BEAST
"I've spent time building bridges to all factions in that debate, trying to work tow ard compromise," he said.
Lou Dobbs' Big Fox Comeback|Howard Kurtz|November 10, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Lean up agin the doors o' public-'ouses, I do, and work 'ard at it!
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 109, July 27, 1895|Various
Let the Old Man see ye up for'ard monkeyshinin' with the hands and ye'll get a hidin' ye'll not forget in a hurry.
Fifty Contemporary One-Act Plays|Various

The coastguards had hoisted the one point downwards, indicating a gale from the south'ard.
Yachting Vol. 2|Various.
Now, in the ol' days, I've seen a dozen whales to wind'ard an' we couldn't get to 'em at all.
The Boy With the U. S. Fisheries|Francis Rolt-Wheeler
I was a power in th' wa-ard in thim days, an' feared no man alive.
Mr. Dooley in Peace and in War|Finley Peter Dunne

British Dictionary definitions for -ard

-ard

-art

suffix forming nouns

indicating a person who does something, esp to excess, or is characterized by a certain qualitybraggart; drunkard; dullard

Word Origin for -ard

via Old French from Germanic -hard (literally: hardy, bold), the final element in many Germanic masculine names, such as Bernhard Bernard, Gerhart Gerard, etc

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