English

Alternative forms

• blaggard

Noun

blackguard ‎(plural blackguards)

1. A scoundrel; an unprincipled contemptible person; an untrustworthy person.
   • Macaulay

     A man whose manners and sentiments are decidedly below those of his class deserves to be called a blackguard.

   • 1899, Knut Hamsun, Hunger, translated by George Egerton, Part I, page 68

     Pawn another man's property for the sake of a meal, eat and drink one's self to perdition, brand one's soul with the first little sear, set the first black mark against one's honour, call one's self a blackguard to one's own face, and needs must cast one's eyes down before one's self? Never! never!

Usage notes

• Usually, only used to refer to a male person.
• Blackguard may also refer to a man who uses foul language in front of a woman, typically a woman of high standing in society.

Synonyms

• (scoundrel): scoundrel

Derived terms

• blackguardism
• blackguardly

Translations

See also

• blagger

Verb

blackguard ‎(third-person singular simple present blackguards, present participle blackguarding, simple past and past participle blackguarded)

1. To revile or abuse in scurrilous language.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Southey to this entry?)