SINCE 1828

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beggarly

adjective beg·gar·ly \ ˈbe-gər-lē \

Definition of beggarly

1 :contemptibly mean, scant, petty, or paltry

2 :befitting or resembling a beggar; especially :marked by extreme poverty

—

beggarliness

noun

See beggarly defined for English-language learners

See beggarly defined for kids

Examples of beggarly in a Sentence

She received a beggarly sum for her efforts.
the dictator and his inner circle lived in unconscionable luxury while the beggarly masses eked out a pitiful existence

First Known Use of beggarly

1526

beggarly Synonyms

Synonyms

beggared, poor, broke, destitute, dirt-poor, down-and-out, famished, hard up, impecunious, impoverished, indigent, necessitous, needful, needy, pauperized, penniless, penurious, poverty-stricken, skint [chiefly British], threadbare

Antonyms

affluent, deep-pocketed, fat, fat-cat, flush, moneyed (also monied), opulent, rich, silk-stocking, wealthy, well-heeled, well-off, well-to-do

Related Words

deprived, disadvantaged, dispossessed, unaffluent, underprivileged; bankrupt, bankrupted, bust (or busted), insolvent; possessionless, ruined; depressed, distressed, hand-to-mouth, hardscrabble, pinched, poorish, reduced, straitened; cash-strapped, low, short, tapped out

Near Antonyms

comfortable, prosperous

BEGGARLY Defined for English Language Learners

beggarly

adjective

Definition of beggarly for English Language Learners

: very small or poor

Learn More about beggarly

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for beggarly

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Examples: beggarly in a Sentence