bearded
Americanadjective
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having a beard.
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having a hairlike growth or tuft, as certain wheats.
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having a barb, as a fishhook.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of bearded
First recorded in 1350–1400, bearded is from the Middle English word beerdid. See beard, -ed 3
Explanation
Someone who's bearded has a beard. If your grandfather is often mistaken for Santa Claus because of his bushy white beard, you can describe him as bearded. Men with beards — whether they're trimmed short or worn long and full — are bearded. Women can be bearded as well, though it's less common, and so can Billy goats, with their tufted little beards. The adjective bearded is sometimes even used to describe plants, like the bearded iris, which grows a prominent bushy "beard" on its lower petals. Bearded comes from the noun beard, with its Germanic root, barthaz.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Other entrants include a trans woman named Ashley Webb and a gloriously bearded Marine vet.
From Slate ● Jul. 16, 2026
A 30-ish bearded South African man: “I’m in awe of the United States of America.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
In Irvington, N.Y., outside the town hall, a heavily bearded figure lies beneath a beech tree.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
The site is home to bird species including bearded tit, avocet, redshank and lapwing.
From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026
“Your father?” says a bearded man behind Doctor Snow, his fingers flexing along the stock of his rifle, tho not lifting it.
From "The Knife of Never Letting Go" by Patrick Ness
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.
