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.

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.

Nearby words

hagfish, haggada, haggadah, haggadist, haggai, haggard, hagged, haggis, haggle, hagia, hagia sophia, cathedral of

Origin of haggard

1560–70; orig., wild female hawk. See hag¹, -ard

SYNONYMS FOR haggard

1 emaciated, drawn, hollow-eyed.

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ANTONYMS FOR haggard

1 robust.

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Related forms

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

Definition 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. 2019

Examples from the Web for haggard

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
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
He was so haggard he looked “like hell,” he confided to Betsy.
The Story of the American Journalists Who Landed on D-Day|Timothy M. Gay|June 6, 2012|DAILY BEAST

Those who criticize the Duggars, Haggard said, cannot empathize with their pain and disappointment.
The Duggars' Photo of Their Stillborn Baby Ignites Debate|Maria Elena Fernandez|December 16, 2011|DAILY BEAST
He sat silent—his eyes downcast—a tired and haggard look on his face.
Macleod of Dare|William Black
Shaughnessy, with a haggard glance at the motionless form on the floor, rose and walked uncertainly to an easy chair.
The Lash|Olin L. Lyman
Personally, he was a striking contrast to the little, haggard and wrinkled Tilly and the dark, silent and gloomy Wallenstein.
A History of Germany|Bayard Taylor
Amedee, with his livid complexion and haggard from a sleepless night and tears, was pitiful to see.
A Romance of Youth, Complete|Francois Coppee
And I saw that haggard, hungry, hopeless look come into her eyes in spite of the tears.
Joe Wilson and His Mates|Henry Lawson

British Dictionary definitions for haggard (1 of 3)

haggard

/ (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

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)

haggard

/ (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