haggard

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈhæɡərd/ UK /ˈhæɡəd/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
looking exhausted and unwell, as from fatigue or suffering

After the sleepless week he looked pale and haggard.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · looking exhausted and... gaunt drawn careworn wanemaciatedworn pinchedhollow-eyed

Opposites

robust fresh healthy radiant

Word family

Forms haggardness

Derived forms haggardlyhaggardness

Etymology

From Middle French hagard ('untamed, wild'), originally a falconry term for a wild adult hawk caught after maturity; of uncertain origin, perhaps Germanic and related to hedge. Sense 'gaunt, wild-looking' arose later.

hagard Middle French

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# haggard

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈhæɡərd/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈhæɡəd/

## Meanings
1. looking exhausted and unwell, as from fatigue or suffering

## Examples
- After the sleepless week he looked pale and haggard.

## Synonyms
- gaunt
- drawn
- careworn
- wan
- emaciated
- worn
- pinched
- hollow-eyed

## Antonyms
- robust
- fresh
- healthy
- radiant

## Derived Forms
- haggardly
- haggardness

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: hagard

## Etymology
From Middle French hagard ('untamed, wild'), originally a falconry term for a wild adult hawk caught after maturity; of uncertain origin, perhaps Germanic and related to hedge. Sense 'gaunt, wild-looking' arose later.

## AI Etymology
Haggard is from Middle French hagard ('untamed, wild'), originally a falconry term for a wild adult hawk caught after maturity; of uncertain origin, perhaps Germanic and related to hedge. Sense 'gaunt, wild-looking' arose later. Important recorded forms include hagard (Middle French). Its deeper history remains uncertain, with proposed links left as possibilities rather than a single settled derivation. The current sense covers looking exhausted and unwell, as from fatigue or suffering. The wider family includes derived forms such as haggardly and haggardness.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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