Scroungier

Part of speech: adjective, comparative

Definitions

1. Someone who habitually seeks to obtain things at little or no cost
2. a person who relies on others’ generosity rather than providing for themselves
3. an individual known for exploiting resources or kindness for personal gain without reciprocation

Etymology: "Scroungier" is simply the comparative of "scroungy," so its history is really the history of "scroungy" plus the comparative ending. The base word, "scrounge," is the more interesting part: it is a verb meaning to obtain things by begging, borrowing, or taking them at little or no cost. "Scroungy," meaning shabby, dirty, or unkempt, was formed from "scrounge" with the suffix "-y," which turns a noun or verb into an adjective describing a quality or resemblance. The comparative "-ier" follows the usual pattern for adjectives ending in "-y": the "y" changes to "i" before the ending is added. So "scroungier" describes something or someone that is more scrounging or more shabby than another, though in the sense given here it usually describes a person who is more inclined to seek things for free.

Synonyms: more scavenging, more begging, more foraging, more freeloading, more busking

Antonyms: less scavenging, less begging, less foraging, less freeloading, less busking