scrounge
scrounge Lexical Profile
scrounge Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To seek to obtain something at the expense or through the generosity of others without paying.
"He managed to scrounge a free ride home from one of his coworkers after his car broke down."
To search about haphazardly in order to find or collect scarce items, supplies, or food.
"The campers had to scrounge around the damp forest floor for enough dry twigs to start a campfire."
• noun
An act of searching around to obtain something for free or at the expense of others (often in the phrase 'on the scrounge').
"Whenever he runs out of coffee, he goes on the scrounge around the office breakroom."
A person who habitually obtains things from others without paying or giving anything in return; a freeloader.
"Nobody wanted to invite him to the dinner party because he had a reputation as a shameless scrounge."
• Rhymes for scrounge
Word Origin & Etymology
First recorded in the early 20th century, 'scrounge' is an alteration of the older northern English and Scottish dialectal verb 'scrunge', meaning to search about or pilfer.