Meaning & use
beggars
Last updated
“beggars” is a form of “beggar”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounplural
People who ask others for money, food, or help, often because they are very poor.
Grammar: This is the plural of 'beggar'; use it with plural verbs, as in 'Beggars were asking for change.'
Patterns
- beggars on the street
- beggars asking for something
Beggars often sit near the train station asking for change.
The charity works with beggars and homeless people in the city.
nounpluraldisapproving
People who ask for something repeatedly or in a way that others find annoying.
Grammar: Used figuratively and often disapprovingly; the singular is 'beggar'.
Patterns
- beggars for attention
- beggars can't be choosers
The children were beggars for attention during the whole meal.
He says beggars can't be choosers, so he took the first job offered.
Word forms
| singular | beggar |
|---|
Common combinations
- beggars can't be choosers
- I'd prefer a better seat, but beggars can't be choosers.
- street beggars
- Street beggars gathered near the market.
- a crowd of beggars
- A crowd of beggars waited outside the temple.
Synonyms and how they differ
- panhandlers
- More common in American English for people who ask strangers for money, often on the street.
- mendicants
- A formal or literary word for beggars, especially those who live by asking for alms.
Word family
- beg verb
- To ask for something with urgency or humility.
- beggary noun
- The state of being very poor and living by asking for money.
Commonly confused: beggars or beggers?
beggars vs beggers
This is a common misspelling. The correct spelling is 'beggars', keeping the 'a' from 'beggar'.
Practice
The correct plural of 'beggar' is ___.
Choose one answer.
The plural is 'beggars', with 'a' before the 'r'. 'Beggers' is a frequent spelling mistake, and 'beggar' is the singular form.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “beggars”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.