blackguard
/ˈblaɡɑːd
/ /ˈblaɡəd/dated
noun
A man who behaves in a dishonourable or contemptible way.Somebody obviously decided that they were going to stop me from talking and it's the action of a blackguard and a rogue....
- It appears in many of these cases that the streets have been handed over to a small number of thugs and blackguards who give all young people a bad name.
- Earlier in the week, we had watched another character have his reputation tarnished by association with political blackguards.
verb [with object]
Abuse or disparage (someone) scurrilously: you know what sort she is, yet you blackguard me when I tell the truth about her...
- ‘They're blackguarding us and it will continue unless we sort it out and we will,’ he warned.
- He blackguarded the team out of the match, there's no two ways about it.
- This is an attempt to intimidate and blackguard the prison officers and this is an attempt that will fail.
Derivatives
blackguardly
/ /ˈblaɡədli / adjective ...- Let the courts make an example of the perpetrators, and in doing so send out the message to others that their vandalistic and blackguardly ways are not acceptable to the decent majority.
- While you do have to draw your sword and fight quite a few blackguardly knaves in this game, it is still very much an adventure game.
- I never knew that the judge could sentence me to prison for contempt of Court, unless I answered all the blackguardly questions about the Masters.
Origin
Early 16th century (originally as two words): from black + guard. The term originally denoted a body of attendants or servants, especially the menials who had charge of kitchen utensils, but the exact significance of the epithet 'black' is uncertain. The sense 'scoundrel, villain' dates from the mid 18th century, and was formerly considered highly offensive.