French word

vieillard

Pronunciation

IPA/vjɛjaʁ/

Meaning

  • masculine nounold man

Example

Le vieillard traverse la rue.

The old man crosses the street.

Illustration for vieillard (old man)

More examples

Le vieillard attend le bus sous la pluie.

The old man waits for the bus in the rain.

Core concept

An elderly man whose age is visibly marked in his appearance or movement.

Similar words

personne âgée: A polite term for an older person whose body and daily life show signs of age.
homme âgé: A polite term for an older man.
vieil homme: An informal term for an older man.
vieux monsieur: A gentle, polite way to address an older man.

Definition in French

Homme d'un âge avancé, parfois employé avec une nuance péjorative.

Word origin

Vieillard combines the older form vieil, related to vieux, with the suffix -ard, which can add a pejorative nuance; vieux ultimately comes from Latin vetulus, related to vetus.

Usage tips

  • Vieillard is masculine and can sound literary or disrespectful when applied to a person, while personne âgée is generally more neutral.

Other meanings

  • old geezernoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word