scrounger
One who cadges
A scrounger is someone who habitually obtains things by begging, borrowing, or scavenging rather than paying or working for them.
The word carries contempt—a scrounger imposes on others' generosity or takes what isn't freely offered: He's such a scrounger, always bumming cigarettes.
In British usage, scrounger often targets welfare recipients, implying they exploit the system rather than earn their keep.
One exploiting others' generosity
- spongerOne who mooches
- cadgerPersistent borrower without repayment
- moocherOne who cadges habitually
- leechBlood-feeding aquatic worm
bludger · hanger-on · user · taker · sponge · borrower · beggar · panhandler
One seeking wild food
- scavengerSeeker of refuse
- hunter-gathererPre-farming subsistence lifestyle
- survivorOne still alive after
- improviserOne who creates spontaneously
salvager · scrapper · collector · gleaner · picker · rummager · dumpster-diver · ragpicker
Crafty, deceitful planner
- cunningSly, scheming cleverness
- connivingSecretly planning wrongdoing
- craftyCleverly deceptive
- wilySkilled at deception
sly · calculating · guileful · sneaky · underhanded · operator · hustler · grifter
Controlled food portions
- requisitionFormal order for supplies
- forageSeek food actively
- pillageViolent theft of goods
- plunderGoods seized violently
loot · provisions · contraband · black-market · barter · scavenge · commandeer · liberate
freeloader
One exploiting others' generosity
leech · bludger · hanger-on · user · taker · sponge · borrower · beggar · panhandler · mendicant
forager
One seeking wild food
- scavengerSeeker of refuse
- hunter-gathererPre-farming subsistence lifestyle
- survivorOne still alive after
improviser · salvager · scrapper · collector · gleaner · picker · rummager · dumpster-diver · ragpicker · beachcomber
schemer
Crafty, deceitful planner
wily · sly · calculating · guileful · sneaky · underhanded · operator · hustler · grifter · chiseler
rations
Controlled food portions
- requisitionFormal order for supplies
- forageSeek food actively
- pillageViolent theft of goods
plunder · loot · provisions · contraband · black-market · barter · scavenge · commandeer · liberate · procure
- exploitersexploiter, predator, parasite, user, leech
- freeloadersfreeloader, mooch, moocher, sponge, sponger
- hangers-onhanger-on, tagalong, leech, parasite, freeloader
- moochingmooch, moocher, mooching, freeloader, freeloading
- stray animalsstray cat, stray dog, stray kitten, feral cat, feral kitten
- class labelsaristocrat, beggar, bourgeois, commoner, elite
scroungerdonor
One who contributes freely
giver · benefactor · philanthropist · provider · contributor
scroungerbreadwinner
Primary household earner
provider · producer · contributor · earner · worker
- scrounge upObtain with difficulty
- on the scrounge