beard
gb/bˈɪɹd/ us/bˈɪɹd/
A2
English
~ 3100
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
Hair on the chin and jaw
Hair that grows on a man's chin, cheeks, and jaw.
Usage pattern:
[someone] has a [adjective] beard
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'beard' with 'mustache', which is only the hair above the upper lip.
Synonyms
facial hair (General term for hair on the face, including mustaches and beards.)
Antonyms
clean-shaven (Describes a man without any facial hair.)
Collocations
grow a beard
|trim a beard
|shave a beard
|thick beard
|long beard
Themes
appearance
|grooming
|daily life
|body
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He decided to grow a beard during the winter.
- Her grandfather's beard was long and white.
- The actor shaved off his beard for the new role.
- A neatly trimmed beard can look very professional.
Learner examples
- He has a long beard.
- My father grows a beard every winter.
- The man has a black beard.
- I like your beard.
Verb
C1
action
2
To face someone boldly
To go to someone and speak or act against them in a brave way.
Usage pattern:
to beard [someone] [in a place or situation]
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize this verb is rare and somewhat literary in modern English; 'confront' is more common.
Synonyms
confront (More general; 'beard' is less common and can suggest more boldness or defiance.)
Antonyms
avoid (To stay away from confronting someone.)
Collocations
beard the leader
|beard the boss
|beard an opponent
Themes
conflict
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He bearded the manager in her office to demand an explanation.
- The protesters bearded the mayor during the meeting.
- She bearded her critics with calm confidence.
Learner examples
- The man bearded his boss about the problem.
- They bearded the teacher after class.
- She bearded him in the hallway.
Grammar
Dictionary form
beard
IPA
GB/bˈɪɹd/
US/bˈɪɹd/
Syllables & stress
beard (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (beard)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: beard
- Plural: beards
Verb
- Base: beard
- 3rd Person Singular: beards
- Present Participle: bearding
- Past: bearded
Word family
Forms
Negative and opposite forms
beardless
adjective
Expressions
beard the lion in his den
1/bˈɪɹd ðə lˈaɪən ˈɪn hˈɪz dˈɛn/
idiom
literary
Confront someone on their own ground
To go to someone's place or area of control and challenge them there.
Examples
- The journalist bearded the lion in his den by questioning the president at his own press conference.
- She decided to beard the lion in his den and tell her boss exactly what she thought.