beggarly

adjective

beg·​gar·​ly ˈbe-gər-lē 

1

: contemptibly mean, scant, petty, or paltry

2

: befitting or resembling a beggar

especially : marked by extreme poverty

beggarliness noun

Synonyms

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

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

Recent Examples on the Web

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

Word History

First Known Use

1526, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

beggarly

adjective

beg·​gar·​ly ˈbeg-ər-lē 

: measly

beggarliness noun