beggarly en · ADJ
Etymology
From beggar + -ly; adverb via Middle English beggarly, beggerly.
Meanings
-
In the manner of a beggar; poverty-stricken; mean; poor; contemptible.
beggarly fellow
-
Fit for a beggar; occasioned by begging.
Beggarly sins, that is, those sins which idleness and beggary usually betray men to; such as lying, flattery, stealing, and dissimulation.
1651, Jer[emy] Taylor, The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Francis Ashe […], →OCLC:beggarly rags
- (broadly) inadequate or meagre.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| beggarlier | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| beggarliest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |