beggar
a wretched fellow; rogue: the surly beggar who collects the rents.
a child or youngster (usually preceded by little): a sudden urge to hug the little beggar.
to reduce to utter poverty; impoverish: The family had been beggared by the war.
to cause one's resources of or ability for (description, comparison, etc.) to seem poor or inadequate: The costume beggars description.
Origin of beggar
1Other words from beggar
- beg·gar·hood, noun
Words Nearby beggar
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use beggar in a sentence
Because the only disabled people I saw in the movies were either blind beggars or blind singers.
Penelope, whose constancy Odysseus put to the test by disguising himself as a beggar when he returned home after long years away at war, ultimately demonstrated her steadfastness to her husband’s satisfaction.
How World War II's ‘Dear John’ Letters Changed American Society | Susan L. Carruthers | February 14, 2022 | TimeThey’re endearing, dopey, shameless beggars who can appease even the most cantankerous souls.
Fascinating science stories to help you survive holiday small talk | Elana Spivack | November 25, 2021 | Popular-ScienceIf you rely on SNAP benefits or food pantries or free fridges for your food, the message is that it’s your fault, and that “beggars can’t be choosers.”
Better to be a beggar in freedom,” he cried out, “than to be forced into compromises against my conscience.
The Catholic Philosopher Who Took on Hitler | John Henry Crosby | December 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief, doctor, lawyer, Indian chief, and all that.
In an interview, Liang said, “Air should be the most valueless commodity, free to breathe for any vagrant or beggar.”
The landays in I Am the beggar of the World are sung only when men are absent.
Beauty and Subversion in the Secret Poems of Afghan Women | Daniel Bosch | April 6, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTI am the beggar of the World is a book of poems, war reportage, and photographs.
Beauty and Subversion in the Secret Poems of Afghan Women | Daniel Bosch | April 6, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHe's a lucky beggar, Reginald, a very lucky beggar, and Warrender's daughter is more than he deserves.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3) | Charles James WillsA beggar asking alms under the character of a poor scholar, a gentleman put the question, Quomodo vales?
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun; | VariousValence sent a woman, disguised as a beggar, to spy out the position; but Bruce saw through the dodge, and the spy confessed.
King Robert the Bruce | A. F. MurisonIf God put a beggar on horseback, would the horse be blamable for galloping to Monte Carlo?
God and my Neighbour | Robert BlatchfordAnd on the same authority we find that there is the ghost of dirt, for the ghost of the old beggar-man was "dirty."
Second Edition of A Discovery Concerning Ghosts | George Cruikshank
British Dictionary definitions for beggar
/ (ˈbɛɡə) /
a person who begs, esp one who lives by begging
a person who has no money or resources; pauper
ironic, jocular, mainly British fellow: lucky beggar!
to be beyond the resources of (esp in the phrase to beggar description)
to impoverish; reduce to begging
Derived forms of beggar
- beggarhood or beggardom, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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