blackguard

1 of 2

noun

black·​guard ˈbla-gərd 

-ˌgärd;

ˈblak-ˌgärd

1

obsolete : the kitchen servants of a household

2

a

: a rude or unscrupulous person

b

: a person who uses foul or abusive language

blackguardism

ˈbla-gər-ˌdi-zəm 

-ˌgär-

noun

blackguardly

ˈbla-gərd-lē 

-ˌgärd-

adjective or adverb

blackguard

2 of 2

verb

blackguarded; blackguarding; blackguards

transitive verb

: to talk about or address in abusive terms

Examples of blackguard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Edgar finds work in the hamlet of Dreng’s Ferry with Dreng himself, an all-around blackguard, but eventually Edgar’s intelligence and capability propel him into the building trade. — Washington Post, 17 Nov. 2020

Despite all the worry about Fukushima, smokers have been inhaling radioactive particles for decadesNicotine - murder weapon of choice for the 19th century blackguard, by Deborah Blum. — Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 26 May 2012

Word History

Etymology

Noun

black entry 1 + guard entry 1

Verb

derivative of blackguard entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1535, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1742, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for blackguard

• asgard
• backyard
• barnyard
• bombard
• brickyard
• canard
• churchyard
• coastguard
• courtyard
• debarred
• diehard
• disbarred

Kids Definition

blackguard

noun

black·​guard

ˈblag-ərd, 

-ˌärd;

ˈblak-ˌgärd

: a rude or dishonest person

blackguardly

-lē

adjective or adverb