Word
richard
Phoneticsrichard
/ˈɹɪtʃɝd/
Countable noun
Definition
n. a very rude or funny way to call someone a 'dick' or a jerk. It uses a common man's name as a joke because that name is often shortened to 'Dick'.
n. a derogatory slang term for a contemptible or obnoxious person. It functions as a euphemistic or ironic substitute for the vulgarity 'dick', based on the traditional diminutive of the proper name.
Examples
“Don't be such a Richard to your sister.”
“He was acting like a total Richard at the party, so everyone eventually stopped talking to him.”
“The comedian's routine relied on the audience's familiarity with the name's common nickname to land a series of puns about a particularly difficult boss named Richard.”
Examples
simple
“Don't be such a Richard to your sister.”
contextual
“He was acting like a total Richard at the party, so everyone eventually stopped talking to him.”
complex
“The comedian's routine relied on the audience's familiarity with the name's common nickname to land a series of puns about a particularly difficult boss named Richard.”
Usage
Used as a common noun in this slang sense; often preceded by the indefinite article or a qualifier like 'total'.
Etymology
From Middle English Rycharde, from Old French Richard, from Medieval Latin Richardus and Ricohardus, from Frankish Rīkahard, from Proto-Germanic Rīkaharduz, a construction of rīks (“king, ruler”) + harduz (“hard, brave”). Cognate with Old High German Rīcohard (“Richard”). A hypothetical Old English equivalent *Rīċheard would also yield an identical "Richard" in Modern English, though it is unknown if the Old English equivalent existed.
Clipping of Richard III (Richard the Third).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
01. Richard Roe
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/richard