mooch off
Live off others
To mooch off someone is to habitually take advantage of their generosity without reciprocating—getting food, money, housing, or other resources without contributing: He's been mooching off his parents since he dropped out of college.
The phrase implies laziness or shamelessness on the moocher's part and often exhausted patience on the other's.
- freeloadTake without reciprocating
- couch surferPerson sleeping at others' homes
- panhandleGeographic arm of territory
- scroungeObtain through begging
- cadgeObtain by begging
hit up · leech · sponge · living rent free · exploit · mump · impose · manipulate · parasite · abuse · bleed dry · bum · deadbeat · loafer · borrow · free ride · beg · dependency
mooch offearn one's keep
Contribute enough to justify support
stand on one's own two feet · fend for oneself · pull one's weight · pull oneself up by one's bootstraps · bootstrap
mooch offsupport
To uphold or sustain
bankroll · subsidize · sponsor · take care of · foot the bill
mooch offcontribute
Give to a collective
chip in · pull one's weight · give back · reciprocate · pitch in