set a beggar on horseback and he'll ride to the Devil
A person unaccustomed to wealth or luxury will easily be corrupted by it.
beggar
/ˈbɛɡɚ/
noun 5verb 2
Collocations
5ADJ.
better, dizzy, female, freezing, poor, richer, sadder, turned
VERB + BEGGAR
becomes, crawling, disguised, gave, like, lives
BEGGAR + NOUN
likeness, man, money, rum
PREP.
in, into, out, than, with
ADV.
always, always, once
Definitions
noun
1
A person who begs.
“[…] They talk of you as if you were Croesus—and I expect the beggars sponge on you unconscionably.” And Vickers launched forth into a tirade very different from his platform utterances. He spoke with extreme contempt of the dense stupidity exhibited on all occasions by the working classes.
Odysseus has returned to his home disguised as a beggar.
2
A person suffering from extreme poverty.
I'm to be a poor, crawling beggar, sponging for rum, when I might be rolling in a coach!
3
A mean or wretched person; a scoundrel.
What does that silly beggar think he's doing?
4
A minced oath for bugger.
5
the last placer in Tycoon
verb
1
To make a beggar of someone; impoverish.
2
To exhaust the resources of; to outdo or go beyond.
`Now,' answered Ayesha, with proud humility - `now when my lord doth speak thus royally and give with so free a hand, it cannot become me to lag behind in words, and be beggared of my generosity.'
It was a scene of such beauty it caught all his attention. Some things beggar likeness, he thought.
Thesaurus
Antonyms
Idioms & Phrases
put the beggar on the gentleman
To follow up something good with something inferior.
He called for two gills of ale, and I took my share; but I was determined not to put the beggar on the gentleman, that was my phrase to him, being a fellow workman. And when they b
Example Bank
601
“[…] They talk of you as if you were Croesus—and I expect the beggars sponge on you unconscionably.” And Vickers launched forth into a tirade very different from his platform utterances. He spoke with
Wiktionary02
Odysseus has returned to his home disguised as a beggar.
Wiktionary03
I'm to be a poor, crawling beggar, sponging for rum, when I might be rolling in a coach!
Wiktionary04
`Now,' answered Ayesha, with proud humility - `now when my lord doth speak thus royally and give with so free a hand, it cannot become me to lag behind in words, and be beggared of my generosity.'
Wiktionary05
It was a scene of such beauty it caught all his attention. Some things beggar likeness, he thought.
Wiktionary06
Taking the ontological temperature of today and of the pre-revolutionary 18th century, Mr. Kundera finds that the speed we love has beggared us of pleasure.
WiktionaryUsage Notes
i Register
In some senses, beggar is marked as figuratively, colloquial, UK. Watch for register when choosing this word.
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