bearded
gb/bˈɪɹdɪd/ us/bˈɪɹdɪd/
B1
English
~ 9400
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B1
property
1
having a beard
Having hair growing on the lower part of the face, like a man with a beard.
Usage pattern:
a bearded [man/person/face]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"He has a bearded"* instead of *"He is bearded"* or *"He has a beard"*. Use *"bearded"* before a noun (*"a bearded man"*) or after *be* (*"He is bearded"*), but not with *a* before it.
Synonyms
whiskered (More literary or old-fashioned; often suggests long or bushy facial hair.)
Antonyms
clean-shaven (Describes a face with no beard or mustache because it has been recently shaved.)
Collocations
bearded man
|heavily bearded
|thinly bearded
|bearded face
|young bearded guy
|bearded hipster
Themes
appearance
|daily life
|people
|body
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- A tall, bearded man opened the door and smiled.
- She barely recognized her brother now that he was heavily bearded.
- The movie features a bearded detective who never smiles.
- Several bearded hipsters were sitting outside the café with their laptops.
Learner examples
- The bearded man is my teacher.
- My uncle is bearded in his new passport photo.
- Three bearded musicians played on the street.
- Her father is short and bearded.
adjective
technical
C1
property
2
having beard-like structures
Used for some animals and plants that have long hairs, bristles, or feathers that look like a beard.
Usage pattern:
a bearded [animal/plant/species]
Common mistake:
Learners may think *bearded* always refers to a human face. In biology, *bearded* in names like *bearded dragon* or *bearded iris* refers to special hairs or feathers, not a human-style beard.
Synonyms
bristly (Focuses on being covered with short stiff hairs; not limited to special beard-like structures or specific species names.)
Antonyms
smooth (Describes a surface without noticeable hairs, bristles, or projections.)
Collocations
bearded dragon
|bearded iris
|bearded vulture
|bearded tit
|bearded wheat
Themes
biology
|animals
|plants
|nature
Examples
- The bearded dragon is a popular pet lizard native to Australia.
- A row of bearded irises lines the path to the front door.
- The bearded vulture uses its powerful beak to crack open bones.
Learner examples
- We saw a bearded dragon in the pet shop.
- My neighbor grows a purple bearded iris in her garden.
- A bearded vulture was flying over the mountains.
Verb
literary
C1
action
3
confronted boldly (past tense)
Past form of *beard*, meaning to go and face an important or strong person in a brave way.
Usage pattern:
[someone] bearded [someone] in [place]
Common mistake:
Learners may not recognize *bearded* as a verb form and may think it always describes a person with a beard. In literary texts, *bearded* can be the past form of the verb *beard*, meaning *confronted boldly*.
Synonyms
confronted (More common and neutral; lacks the slightly dramatic and literary flavor of *bearded*.)
Antonyms
avoided (Means to stay away from or not face someone, which is the opposite of confronting them.)
Collocations
bearded the lion in his den
|bearded his critics
|bearded her boss
|bearded the minister
Themes
conflict
|communication
|relationships
Examples
- The young activist bearded the minister in his office over the new policy.
- She bearded her critics at the press conference and answered every question calmly.
- In a rare act of defiance, the employee bearded his boss about the unfair schedule.
Learner examples
- The student bearded the director about the new rules.
- He bearded his boss and asked for better pay.
- They bearded the mayor in his office about the noisy road.
Grammar
Dictionary form
bearded
IPA
GB/bˈɪɹdɪd/
US/bˈɪɹdɪd/
Syllables & stress
bearded (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (bearded)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: bearded
Word family
Core family
beard
noun A2
Negative and opposite forms
beardless
adjective
Expressions
bearded collie
1/bˈɪɹdɪd kˈɑli/
fixed phrase
a long-haired herding dog breed
A type of medium-sized dog with long hair that hangs over its face and body, first used to move sheep and cattle.
Examples
- They adopted a playful bearded collie from the rescue center.
- Bearded collies need regular brushing because of their long coats.
bearded dragon
1/bˈɪɹdɪd dɹˈæɡən/
fixed phrase
a popular pet lizard species
A medium-sized lizard from Australia, often kept as a pet, with a wide body and a spiky throat that looks like a beard.
Examples
- Her son begged for a bearded dragon after seeing one at the reptile show.
- Bearded dragons need special lights and a warm tank to stay healthy.
bearded lady
1/bˈɪɹdɪd lˈeɪdi/
fixed phrase
woman with a full beard
A woman who grows a full beard on her face, sometimes shown in circuses or in stories as something unusual.
Examples
- The film tells the story of a bearded lady who becomes a famous singer.
- Old circus posters showed the bearded lady as a strange and exciting act.