beggar
B2Neutral to informal. The literal sense is neutral; figurative uses are informal.
Definition
Meaning
A person who lives by asking for money or food from strangers, typically in public places.
A person who is very poor or destitute; also used informally to describe someone in a pitiable state or as a playful, affectionate term (e.g., 'you lucky beggar').
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The term can carry negative social stigma when referring literally to a person begging. The figurative use ('beggar description') is a fixed, literary idiom meaning 'to be beyond description'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The literal meaning is identical. The verb form 'to beggar' (to make poor) is slightly more common in British formal/written English. The affectionate informal use ('cheeky beggar') is more frequent in UK English.
Connotations
In both varieties, the literal term can be seen as derogatory or dehumanizing; more neutral terms like 'homeless person' or 'person experiencing homelessness' are often preferred in sensitive contexts.
Frequency
Comparatively low frequency in modern corpora for the literal sense, due to societal shifts in terminology. Figurative and idiomatic uses persist.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[beggar] + [verb] (e.g., The beggar sat on the steps.)[adjective] + [beggar] (e.g., a destitute beggar)[beggar] + [prepositional phrase] (e.g., a beggar at the station)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Beggar belief/description (to be too extraordinary to be believed/described)”
- “Beggars can't be choosers (people with no other options must accept what is offered)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Possibly in metaphorical use: 'The new regulations could beggar small firms.'
Academic
Rare in literal sense in social sciences; 'mendicant' used for historical/religious contexts. The verb 'to beggar' appears in economic history.
Everyday
Used for the literal act of begging and in common idioms ('Beggars can't be choosers'). Informal, affectionate use in UK English.
Technical
Not a technical term.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The cost of the repairs would beggar most families.
- Such beauty beggars description.
American English
- The medical bills would beggar anyone without insurance.
- The scale of the fraud beggars belief.
adverb
British English
- (No standard adverbial form)
American English
- (No standard adverbial form)
adjective
British English
- (Rare as a standalone adjective) He had a beggar's existence.
- (In compounds) beggar-my-neighbour policies
American English
- (Rare as a standalone adjective) They lived in beggar conditions.
- (In compounds) a beggar-thy-neighbor trade strategy
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The beggar asked me for some money.
- We saw a beggar near the shop.
- A street beggar sat outside the station with a cup.
- He gave his sandwich to the poor beggar.
- The government introduced schemes to help beggars find work.
- 'Beggars can't be choosers,' she said, accepting the old coat.
- The sheer audacity of the proposal beggars belief.
- The war beggared the entire population, reducing once-prosperous merchants to paupers.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a BEGgar who BEGs in a GARden (though they beg anywhere). The word 'beg' is inside 'beggar'.
Conceptual Metaphor
POVERTY IS A STATE OF LACK/DEPRIVATION (extended to non-material domains: 'beggar belief' = cause belief to be impoverished).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation for the idiom 'beggar description' – it does not mean 'to beg for a description'.
- The Russian 'нищий' is a direct equivalent for the noun, but the social connotations may differ.
- The verb 'to beggar' (разорить) is a false friend for the noun form.
Common Mistakes
- Misspelling as 'begger'.
- Using 'beggar' as a direct, polite synonym for 'homeless person'.
- Incorrectly parsing the idiom 'beggar belief' as if 'beggar' is the subject (e.g., 'The beggar believes...').
Practice
Quiz
What is the meaning of the idiom 'Beggars can't be choosers'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, when referring literally to a person asking for money, it can be considered derogatory or dehumanizing. More neutral, person-first language like 'a person experiencing homelessness' or 'a person asking for alms' is often preferred in sensitive or formal contexts.
Yes, though it's less common. 'To beggar' means to make someone very poor ('It would beggar the nation') or, in the fixed phrase 'beggar belief/description', to be so extreme that it defies belief or description.
'Panhandler' is primarily American English for someone who begs, especially in the street. 'Beggar' is the standard term in both UK and US English, but 'panhandler' is a common synonym in the US.
The proverb uses the plural form 'beggars' to make a general statement about the entire class of people who beg, not about one specific individual. It's a generic plural.
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