600+ Ways to Describe Beards: A Word List for Writers
Beards represent more than mere facial hair. William Shakespeare’s opinion about beards: “He that hath a beard is more than a youth, and he that hath no beard is less than a man.” Rebecca West’s take: “In England and America a beard usually means that its owner would rather be considered venerable than virile; on the continent of Europe it often means that its owner makes a special claim to virility.” In a culture where clean-shaven faces are the rule, a bearded man might be considered a renegade. In other cultures, a well-maintained beard implies wisdom and academia. Untamed facial hair might be the hallmark of a wild spirit — a Bohemian artist, perhaps, or a brilliant scientist who doesn’...