bezonian means A beggar, pauper, or rascal. It carries an Arena rating of 1535, earned across 11 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, bezonian ranks #758 of 17,163 for Funniest Words, #1,733 of 17,140 for Most Whimsical Words, #3,074 of 17,151 for The Improbable, #3,763 of 17,127 for Most Vivid Words.
Why “bezonian” is a great word
A person reduced to indigence, a contemptible rascal or beggar of the lowest order. From Italian bisognoso ("needy, poor") with the English suffix -ian; entered English in the late 16th century. Unlike "vagabond" (which charts a restless, rootless journey) or "knave" (which indicts a dishonest heart), a bezonian is defined by a base poverty that breeds roguish desperation. He is the shuffling figure in threadbare hose, the grating voice hawking a dubious cure, the hollow-eyed recipient of scornful alms—a specter of want that reminds the comfortable of the brittle floor beneath their feet.
Etymology
From Italian bisognoso (“poor”).
noun
- A beggar, pauper, or rascal.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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