beggar
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
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to reduce to utter poverty; impoverish.
The family had been beggared by the war.
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to cause one's resources of or ability for (description, comparison, etc.) to seem poor or inadequate.
The costume beggars description.
noun
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a person who begs, esp one who lives by begging
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a person who has no money or resources; pauper
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ironic fellow
lucky beggar!
verb
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to be beyond the resources of (esp in the phrase to beggar description )
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to impoverish; reduce to begging
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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beggarsimple
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beggarssimple
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have beggaredperfect
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has beggaredperfect
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am beggaringprogressive
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are beggaringprogressive
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is beggaringprogressive
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have been beggaringperfect progressive
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has been beggaringperfect progressive
Past
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beggaredsimple
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had beggaredperfect
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was beggaringprogressive
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were beggaringprogressive
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had been beggaringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of beggar
First recorded in 1175–1225, beggar is from the Middle English word beggare, beggere. See beg 1, -er 1, -ar 3
Explanation
A beggar is a poor person who asks others, or begs, for money or food. Another word for a beggar is a "panhandler," although both terms are vaguely offensive. No one wants to be a beggar. Many people who are beggars are also homeless and haven't been able to find jobs. Sometimes people use the word in an informal, pitying way: "Poor little beggar, he works so hard!" Another informal term is "to beggar belief," as when something is so incredible that you find it hard to believe. Another expression is “beggars can’t be choosers” which means you get what you get and you don’t get upset.
Vocabulary lists containing beggar
Broke-abulary: Synonyms for "Poor"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
On the page, Miss Havisham's sick game is one of cards, a few rounds of Beggar My Neighbor that isn't fair or fun.
From Salon • Mar. 27, 2023
Other rewardingly memorable voices belong to Maria Bilbao as Sweeney’s daughter, Johanna, Ruthie Ann Miles as the pitiable Beggar Woman and John Rapson as the scabrous Beadle Bamford.
From Washington Post • Mar. 26, 2023
As a co-founder and editor at independent press Galley Beggar, I wake up in sweats with the certain knowledge that somewhere in my email inbox lies a stone cold classic.
From The Guardian • Jun. 13, 2017
HBO Asia is moving cautiously out of the gate, with two made-for-TV kung fu movies, “Master of the Drunken Fist: Beggar So” and “Master of the Shadowless Kick: Wong Kei-ying.”
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 22, 2016
"Have you heard? The Beggar King is dead."
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
