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.
At the end of the film, Matt Damon’s haggard Odysseus sails toward the unknown, accepting that he doesn’t deserve the comfort of a king.
From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026
But in 2024, Venezuela produced only about one percent of global crude, its industry left haggard by years of underinvestment, mismanagement and US sanctions.
From Barron's ● Mar. 1, 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 looked at the boy out of his sunken haggard eyes.
From "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy
“This is an incredible accomplishment for a country that is this poor,” said Haggard, noting that Kim benefited from some luck, too.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026
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
She wrote songs performed by some of the biggest names in country music history and beyond, including Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, B.B.
From Seattle Times ● May 9, 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
I remembered Fennimore Cooper, and the eclipse as adapted by Haggard in Solomon's Mines, and hoped for success.
From In the Yellow Sea by Frith, Henry
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.
