beggar
beggar Lexical Profile
beggar Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A person, typically one who is homeless or destitute, who lives by asking others for money or food.
"The traveler gave a warm meal and a few coins to the beggar sitting near the city gate."
An informal term for a person or animal, used to express affection, pity, or mild irritation.
"The stray puppy was a plucky little beggar that quickly won over the entire family."
• verb
To surpass or defy the limits of something so completely as to make it seem inadequate (especially in 'beggar belief' or 'beggar description').
"The sheer scale of the ancient canyon's geological formations beggars description."
To reduce someone or something to extreme poverty or financial ruin.
"Years of reckless speculation and heavy taxation eventually beggared the once-prosperous estate."
• Rhymes for beggar
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Dating back to Middle English 'beggere', the word is likely derived from Anglo-French 'begart' and Old French 'begard', referring to members of the Beghards, a medieval lay religious brotherhood known for living in voluntary poverty and mendicancy.