Synonyms

beggarly

American

[beg-er-lee] / ˈbɛg ər li /

adjective

like or befitting a beggar.
meanly inadequate.

How does he manage on such a beggarly salary?

beggarly British

/ ˈbɛɡəlɪ /

adjective

meanly inadequate; very poor

beggarly living conditions

"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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

unbeggarly

adjective
beggarliness

noun

Etymology

Origin of beggarly

First recorded in 1520–30; beggar + -ly

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023