beggar

Universal Words noun, verb noun 1 a person who lives by asking people for money or food: beggars sleeping on the pavement 2 (BrE, spoken) used with an adjective to describe sb in a particular way: Aren't you dressed yet, you lazy beggar? * She's in Bali, the lucky beggar. IDIOMS beggars can't be choosers (saying) people say beggars can't be choosers when there is no choice and sb must be satisfied with what is available verb [VN] to make sb/sth very poor: Why should I beggar myself for you? IDIOMS beggar belief / description to be too extreme, shocking, etc. to believe/describe: It beggars belief how things could have got this bad.