What this suffix does
-ard forms nouns naming someone who takes a flaw to the extreme (almost always negative): drunkard, dullard, laggard, braggart.
ESEN
Suffix · forms nouns
-ard / -art
From Germanic "-hard" (persistently excessive): forms pejorative nouns for a person who takes a negative trait to excess. Drunkard, braggart, dullard, dotard, laggard.
In Spanish: -ardo / pejorative nounIntermediate
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
Trivia: "dotard" and two that lost the negative sense
In 2017, Kim Jong-un called Donald Trump a "dotard" (senile old man) and it was searched thousands of times that same day. "coward" also comes from this pattern. But "wizard" completely lost its original negative connotation: today it is a compliment ("a financial wizard").
How it is formed
Adjective or verb + ard/-art. Produces pejorative person nouns.
- fault + ard (person characterised by excess of that fault)drunk = drunkarddull = dullardlag = laggarddote = dotardbrag = braggartslug = sluggard
- negative moral trait + ardcow (tail, cowardice) = cowardbas (base) = bastard
- root that lost negative connotation + ardwise = wizardstan (reference stone) = standardbil = billiard
The suffix -ard is no longer productive in modern English: you cannot freely create new words with it. Existing -ard words are fixed vocabulary to be learned directly.
How it is pronounced
-ard / -art/ərd/ · rhymes with heard
Tap the button to hear how the ending sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.
Examples
Base word
With -ard / -art
In a phrase
- drunkdrunkardThe old drunkard stumbled out of the bar every night.
- brag (to boast)braggartNobody likes him, he's such a braggart about his money.
- dull (slow)dullardDon't call him a dullard, he's actually really smart, just quiet.
- lag (to fall behind)laggardShe was the laggard of the group, always the last one to finish.
- dote (to be senile)dotardIn the play, the old king is mocked as a foolish dotard.
- cow (tail, fear)cowardHe called himself a coward for not standing up to his boss.
- slug (sluggish)sluggardStop being such a sluggard and get out of bed!
- wisewizardIn the story, the wizard casts a spell to save the kingdom.
- bas (base, low)bastardIn the novel, the boy grows up as a bastard, unable to inherit anything.
- pol (to lop)pollardThe gardener pollards the trees every winter to keep them small.
Common mistakes
wizard = always negative or supernatural
wizard today is positive: a genius, an extraordinarily skilled person
"a financial wizard" = a genius of finance. "a wizard programmer" = an exceptional programmer. The original negative connotation has disappeared; today it is pure praise.
dotard = old person in general
dotard = specifically an old person who has lost mental faculties through age
"dotard" is not a synonym for "elderly person" or "old man." It is specifically pejorative: it implies cognitive decline due to age. "senile old man" is the more common modern equivalent.
coward comes from "cow" (the animal)
coward comes from French "couard", from "cauda" (tail): one who hides the tail
No connection to the animal. From French "couard" (from Latin "cauda" = tail): the image is of an animal fleeing with its tail between its legs.
A trick to remember it
Picture someone taking a flaw to the EXTREME, unable to stop: a drunkARD can't stop drinking, a braggART can't stop bragging. The exception: wizard lost the negative sense and is now pure praise.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Form the word
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
"Dotard" means...
Exercise 3 · Pick the right one
"A financial wizard" is...
Frequently asked questions
What does the suffix -ard / -art mean in English?
The suffix -ard / -art from Germanic "-hard" (persistently excessive): forms pejorative nouns for a person who takes a negative trait to excess. Drunkard, braggart, dullard, dotard, laggard. In Spanish it usually maps to -ardo / pejorative noun.
How do you pronounce -ard / -art?
The ending -ard / -art is pronounced /ərd/ · rhymes with heard. For example, "drunkard".
Can you give an example of a word with -ard / -art?
"drunk" becomes "drunkard". It is a typical example of the -ard / -art suffix.
Other useful suffixes
-eer
From French "-ier": forms nouns for a person who works with something or carries out an activity. Pioneer, privateer, profiteer, buccaneer, engineer.
-ling
From Old English "-ling": forms diminutives of young creatures, small beings or subordinate persons. Duckling, fledgling, sibling, underling, changeling.
-ster
From Old English "-estre": forms person nouns associated with an activity or group. Trickster, gangster, prankster, youngster, spinster, mobster, hipster.
Learn every English suffix
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