sponger

[ spuhn-jer ]

noun

1. a person or thing that sponges.
2. a person who habitually borrows or lives at the expense of others; parasite.
3. a person or boat engaged in gathering sponges.

sponger

/ ˈspʌndʒə /

noun

1. informal.
   a person who lives off other people by continually taking advantage of their generosity; parasite or scrounger
2. a person or ship employed in collecting sponges

Word History and Origins

Origin of sponger¹

First recorded in 1670–80; sponge + -er ¹

Example Sentences

Slow Poke, a sponger, was our first customer.

From Literature

Kinetic impact projectiles include rubber, plastic, wooden, and “sponger” bullets, which are shot from launchers and guns.

From Reuters

Protesters have also been hit by a variety of rubber, plastic, and “sponger” bullets.

From Reuters

Given that Magnus is a sponger, a con man, Catholic convert and gay, he comes across as a second cousin to that comparably fascinating outcast, Frederick Rolfe, the self-styled Baron Corvo.

From Washington Post

Migrants fleeing violence or seeking a better life in the US were reframed through Trump’s racist prism as an unstoppable torrent of dark-skinned psychopaths and spongers.

From The Guardian

Related Words

• seducer