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.
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
First recorded in 1560–70; originally, “wild female hawk”; see hag 1, -ard
Someone who is haggard looks exhausted and worn out, exactly how you'd expect someone who's been lost at sea for days to look. A haggard appearance is usually the result of a long, harrowing ordeal, like getting lost in the woods or being stranded in the woods for days. An emotional ordeal, like losing a loved one, can also give someone a haggard appearance if they forget to eat, sleep, and take care of themselves. Whatever the ordeal, it will make the person look absolutely awful — pale, gaunt, disheveled, exhausted with dark circles under their eyes and wild, unruly hair.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“We have DJs who play everything from Dwight Yoakam to Bruce Springsteen and Merle Haggard to Chappell Roan,” said Chase Manhattan, regional director of entertainment at Desert 5 Spot.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 23, 2025
Among his favourites were the works John Buchan and H Rider Haggard, but Forsyth adored Ernest Hemingway's book on bullfighters, Death in the Afternoon.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2025
It’s where musicians Buck Owens and Merle Haggard were raised and shaped.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2024
In addition to those mentioned above, co-authors include Christopher O'Dea, University of Manitoba, and Daryl Haggard, McGill University.
From Science Daily • Feb. 21, 2024
He returned, saying that his father would drive over to the cottage and see if Laurens had returned and if not he would see Haggard and have a regular search instituted.
From The Independence Day Horror at Killsbury by Coolidge, Asenath Carver
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
