-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.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON “THEIR,” “THERE,” AND “THEY’RE”
Are you aware how often people swap around “their,” “there,” and “they’re”? Prove you have more than a fair grasp over these commonly confused words.
Question 1 of 7
Which one of these commonly confused words can act as an adverb or a pronoun?
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. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for -ard
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
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