haggard

¹ American  

[hag-erd] / ˈhæg ərd /

adjective

1. having a gaunt, wasted, or exhausted appearance, as from prolonged suffering, exertion, or anxiety; worn.

   the haggard faces of the tired troops.

   Synonyms:

   hollow-eyed, drawn, emaciated

   Antonyms:

   robust

2. Archaic. wild; wild-looking.

   haggard eyes.

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

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noun

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

Haggard ² American  

[hag-erd] / ˈhæg ərd /

noun

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

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haggard ¹ British  

/ ˈhæɡəd /

adjective

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

2. wild or unruly

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

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noun

1. falconry a hawk that has reached maturity before being caught Compare eyas passage hawk

Haggard ² British  

/ ˈhæɡəd /

noun

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

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haggard ³ British  

/ ˈhæɡərd /

noun

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

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Other Word Forms

• haggardly adverb
• haggardness noun

Etymology

Origin of haggard

First recorded in 1560–70; originally, “wild female hawk”; hag ¹, -ard

Example Sentences

But in 2024, the South American country produced only about one percent of the world's total crude output, said OPEC, its industry left haggard by years of underinvestment, mismanagement and US sanctions.

From Barron's • Feb. 11, 2026

It would not have been my first choice for something to discard—I’d have nominated the haggard horse face that stares back at me daily when I shave—but nobody asked me.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 18, 2025

"I did the one pair of wheels - I will say they're absolutely haggard," he laughed.

From BBC • Jun. 27, 2025

He wore the haggard shell-shocked expression everyone wears after leaving transit.

From Slate • May 19, 2025

“I’ll keep on trying,” he said, as a look of despair crossed his haggard face.

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane