as in impoverished
lacking money or material possessions
the dictator and his inner circle lived in unconscionable luxury while the beggarly masses eked out a pitiful existence
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Recent Examples of beggarly
The aerial railway carried its last rider in 1937, and the fare was a beggarly two Depression-era dollars.
—
Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2021
Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beggarly
Adjective
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The impoverished duke needs Gladys' dowry to prop up his family's estate, and Bertha may have promised him a bit too much without informing George or taking Gladys' wishes into account.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
23 June 2025
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Known collectively as Hessians, since most Germans hired by London to fight in America came from Hesse-Kassel, this contingent was largely from the small, impoverished duchy of Brunswick, whose ruling family had intermarried with the British royal family.—
/ CBS News,
CBS News,
13 June 2025
Adjective
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The key drivers are BGE’s soaring spending and profits and poor management by PJM Interconnection, the private entity that operates our electric grid.—
Emily Scarr,
Baltimore Sun,
29 June 2025
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Despite having a poor 2024 season that saw the Pirates remove Bednar from the closer role, the right-hander is back to his dominant form.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 June 2025
Adjective
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Song toys with broken hearts being as interchangeable as being literally financially broke.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
16 June 2025
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Really, Song wants to know whether a sensible girl can justify shackling herself to a broke creative.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Beggarly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beggarly. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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