-ard

1. a suffix forming nouns that denote persons who regularly engage in an activity, or who are characterized in a certain way, as indicated by the stem; now usually pejorative.

   coward; dullard; drunkard; wizard.

-ard

suffix

1. indicating a person who does something, esp to excess, or is characterized by a certain quality

   braggart

   drunkard

   dullard

Word History and Origins

Origin of -ard¹

Middle English < Old French, probably extracted from Frankish compound personal names; compare Old High German Adalhart ( French Alard ), Bernhart ( French Bernard ), with 2nd element -hart literally, strong, hardy, hard (cognate with Old English -heard in names), often merely as intensifier of quality denoted in 1st element.

Word History and Origins

Origin of -ard¹

via Old French from Germanic -hard (literally: hardy, bold), the final element in many Germanic masculine names, such as Bernhard Bernard, Gerhart Gerard, etc

Example Sentences

Work began last year on the Ard development in Blythswood Hill, a 36-storey tower of student accommodation.

From BBC

The body of a 42-year-old man has been recovered at Loch Ard in the Trossachs.

From BBC

Loch Ard is in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park near Aberfoyle and is a popular destination for swimmers, kayakers and water skiers.

From BBC

"People made bad jokes about him," explained Taufig Khalil, commentator for ARD Radio.

From BBC

On Sunday, Pistorius told German public broadcaster ARD that Kyiv knew that it might have to part with some territory to secure a ceasefire.

From BBC

When To Use

What does -ard mean?

The combining form -ard is a suffix denoting “someone who engages often in an activity,” and it is frequently pejorative. It is often used in everyday terms.The form -ard comes from German -hard, meaning “strong; hardy; hard,” which is a cognate of English hard.What are variants of -ard?In some rare instances, the form -ard becomes -art, as in braggart. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use article about -art.