beggar

American  

[beg-er] / ˈbɛg ər /

noun

1. a person who begs beg alms or lives by begging. beg.

2. a penniless person.

3. a wretched fellow; rogue.

   the surly beggar who collects the rents.

4. a child or youngster (usually preceded bylittle ).

   a sudden urge to hug the little beggar.

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verb (used with object)

1. to reduce to utter poverty; impoverish.

   The family had been beggared by the war.

2. to cause one's resources of or ability for (description, comparison, etc.) to seem poor or inadequate.

   The costume beggars description.

beggar British  

/ ˈbɛɡə /

noun

1. a person who begs, esp one who lives by begging

2. a person who has no money or resources; pauper

3. ironic fellow

   lucky beggar!

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verb

1. to be beyond the resources of (esp in the phrase to beggar description )

2. to impoverish; reduce to begging

Other Word Forms

• beggarhood noun

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

Example Sentences

Robbie’s most deliciously debasing scene is when she throws coins on the ground for a desperate beggar — and then that person forces her to watch as he picks them up.

From Los Angeles Times

"You go into the hospital and there's sepsis posters on lifts and walls but if their actual frontline staff can't recognise the symptoms of sepsis, it just beggars belief," said Jane.

From BBC

Baroness May said it "beggars belief" that the Hicks were still having to fight to have the "truth acknowledged" about what had happened to their daughters.

From BBC

"Common people, business owners — even beggars — are now fed up. Justice has been sent into exile."

From Barron's

That England players – including Brook - sat in bars for hours on end, in plain sight of the public and the media, beggars belief.

From BBC

Related Words

• bum
• panhandler
• vagabond