beggar

n.

1. One who solicits alms for a living.
2. An impoverished person; a pauper.
3. Informal. A man or a boy.

tr.v., -gared, -gar·ing, -gars.

1. To make a beggar of; impoverish.
2. To exceed the limits, resources, or capabilities of: beauty that beggars description.

[Middle English, from Old French begart, ultimately from Middle Dutch beggaert, one who rattles off prayers.]

noun

1. One who begs habitually or for a living: almsman, almswoman, cadger, mendicant. Informal panhandler. Slang bummer, moocher. See request.
2. An impoverished person: down-and-out, down-and-outer, have-not, indigent, pauper. See rich/poor.
3. One who humbly entreats: prayer, suitor, suppliant, supplicant. See request.

n

Definition: bum
Antonyms: giver

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A cynical view of the world by Ambrose Bierce

n.

One who has relied on the assistance of his friends.

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IN BRIEF: A person who lives by asking others for money.

I would rather be a beggar and spend my money like a king, than be a king and spend money like a beggar. — Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899); American philosopher, lawyer, and orator

Quotes:

"All religions have honored the beggar. For he proves that in a matter at the same time as prosaic and holy, banal and regenerative as the giving of alms, intellect and morality, consistency and principles are miserably inadequate." - Walter Benjamin

"God ordains that beggars should beg for greatness, as for all else, when greatness shines out of them, and they don't know it." - Georges Bernanos

"Beggars should be entirely abolished! Truly, it is annoying to give to them and annoying not to give to them." - Friedrich Nietzsche

"If begging should unfortunately be thy lot, knock at the large gates only." - Arabian Proverb

"As for begging, it is safer to beg than to take, but it is finer to take than to beg." - Oscar Wilde

"Give a beggar a dime and he'll bless you. Give him a dollar and he'll curse you for withholding the rest of your fortune. Poverty is a bag with a hole at the bottom." - Anzia Yezierska

See more famous quotes about Beggars

There are some obvious associations with a beggar, such as feeling needy or feeling one has to beg for what one wants. Perhaps a feeling of failure (one is "reduced to begging"). Finally, it may represent inner needs or desires one does not feed, and which have thus reduced the person to the status of beggar.

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - tigger, betler
v. tr. - ruinere, bringe til tiggerstaven

idioms:

• beggar belief    helt utroligt, helt vildt
• beggar description    trodse enhver beskrivelse

Nederlands (Dutch)
bedelaar, schooier

Français (French)
n. - mendiant, mendigot, (fig) indigent(e), pauvre(s)
v. tr. - réduire à la mendicité, (fig) mettre sur la paille, ruiner, (fig) défier

idioms:

• beggar belief    défier toute croyance
• beggar description    être indescriptible

Deutsch (German)
n. - Bettler
v. - arm machen, übersteigen

idioms:

• beggar belief    unglaublich sein
• beggar description    unbeschreiblich sein

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - ζητιάνος, επαίτης
v. - οδηγώ στη χρεοκοπία, αφήνω απένταρο

idioms:

• beggar belief    είμαι απίστευτος
• beggar description    είμαι απερίγραπτος

Italiano (Italian)
mendicante

idioms:

• beggars belief    stupidaggine, illusione
• beggars description    fantasia, menzogna

Português (Portuguese)
n. - mendigo (m), pobre (m), tratante (m)
v. - empobrecer, despir, superar

idioms:

• beggar belief    algo impossível de se descrever
• beggar description    ser indescritível

Русский (Russian)
нищий, попрошайка

idioms:

• beggar belief    совсем не верится
• beggar description    не поддаваться описанию

Español (Spanish)
n. - mendigo, pordiosero
v. tr. - empobrecer, arruinar

idioms:

• beggar belief    increíble, inadmisible
• beggar description    imposible describirlo

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - tiggare, fattig stackare, kanalje, rackare
v. - göra till tiggare

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
乞丐, 叫化子, 家伙, 穷人, 穷光蛋, 使沦为乞丐, 使不足, 使贫穷, 使不能

idioms:

• beggar belief    很难相信
• beggar description    无法形容

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 乞丐, 叫化子, 傢伙, 窮人, 窮光蛋
v. tr. - 使淪為乞丐, 使不足, 使貧窮, 使不能

idioms:

• beggar belief    很難相信
• beggar description    無法形容

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 거지, 깡패
v. tr. - ~을 가난하게 만들다

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 乞食, 貧乏人, 野郎, 物もらい
v. - 貧乏にする, 貧弱にする, 不能にする

idioms:

• beggar belief    信じられない
• beggar description    筆舌に尽くしがたい

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) متسول, شحاذ (فعل) أفقر‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮קבצן, שנורר, עני, ברנש‬
v. tr. - ‮רושש, הרס‬

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