Meanings
proverb
- idiomaticSomething is better than nothing: those who can't provide for themselves should accept whatever help is available.
1 more example
Mo went online and found me a beggars-can't-be-choosers flight out of Denver: a 5.45 a.m. takeoff, a three-hour layover at O'Hare. I'd land in Hartford by late afternoon. "I'll be fine," I said. "Drink a lot of coffee, drive right from school to the airport. I can crash once I get on the plane." She frowned. "Okay, let me rephrase that. I can sleep once I get on the plane."
2008, Wally Lamb, The Hour I First Believed, Ch.3, at p.60Synonyms: something is better than nothing, half a loaf is better than none, don't look a gift horse in the mouth
Synonyms & antonyms
proverbSomething is better than nothing: those who can't provide for themselves should accept whatever help is available.
Translations
Bulgarian на хари́зан кон зъ́бите не се гле́дат
- на хари́зан кон зъ́бите не се гле́дат (na harízan kon zắbite ne se glédat)when resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts
Chinese Mandarin 飢不擇食 /饥不择食
- 飢不擇食 /饥不择食 (jībùzéshí)when resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts
Czech darovanému koni na zuby nehleď
- darovanému koni na zuby nehleďwhen resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts
Dutch men mag een gegeven paard niet in de bek zien
- men mag een gegeven paard niet in de bek zienwhen resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts
Estonian vaene ei tohi pirtsutada
- vaene ei tohi pirtsutadawhen resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts
Finnish köyhällä ei ole varaa nirsoilla
- köyhällä ei ole varaa nirsoillawhen resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts
French faute de grives, on mange des merles
- faute de grives, on mange des merleswhen resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts
German in der Not schmeckt jedes Brot, in der Not frisst der Teufel Fliegen
- in der Not schmeckt jedes Brotwhen resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts
- in der Not frisst der Teufel Fliegenwhen resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts
Hungarian éhes ember nem válogat, eszi, nem eszi, nem kap mást
- éhes ember nem válogatwhen resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts
- eszi, nem eszi, nem kap mástwhen resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts
- ez van, ezt kell szeretniwhen resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts
Icelandic vandfýsni hæfir ekki snauðum, hafa skal það sem hendi er næst
- vandfýsni hæfir ekki snauðumwhen resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts
- hafa skal það sem hendi er næstwhen resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts
Italian questo passa il convento
- questo passa il conventowhen resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts
Korean 얻어먹는 놈이 쓰다 달다 할 수 있나
- 얻어먹는 놈이 쓰다 달다 할 수 있나 (eodeomeongneun nomi sseuda dalda hal su inna)when resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts
Malay برشکور دڠن يڠ اد, bersyukur dengan yang ada
- برشکور دڠن يڠ ادwhen resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts
- bersyukur dengan yang adawhen resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts
Polish jak się nie ma, co się lubi, to się lubi, co się ma, lepszy rydz niż nic
- jak się nie ma, co się lubi, to się lubi, co się mawhen resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts
- lepszy rydz niż nicwhen resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts
- lepszy wróbel w garści niż gołąb na dachuwhen resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts
- lepszy wróbel w ręku niż cietrzew na sękuwhen resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts
- lepszy wróbel w ręku niż sokół na sękuwhen resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts
- na bezrybiu i rak rybawhen resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts
- z braku laku dobry kitwhen resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts
Portuguese a cavalo dado não se olha os dentes
- a cavalo dado não se olha os denteswhen resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts
Romanian nemulțumitului i se ia darul, calul de dar nu se caută la dinți
- nemulțumitului i se ia darulwhen resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts
- calul de dar nu se caută la dințiwhen resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts
Russian бедняки́ не выбира́ют, не до жи́ру, быть бы жи́ву
- бедняки́ не выбира́ют (bednjakí ne vybirájut)when resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts
- не до жи́ру, быть бы жи́ву (ne do žíru, bytʹ by žívu)when resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts
Scottish Gaelic na dèan àilgheas air tìodhlac
- na dèan àilgheas air tìodhlacwhen resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts
Spanish a mucha hambre, no hay pan duro, no se puede ser pobre y soberbio
- a mucha hambre, no hay pan durowhen resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts
- no se puede ser pobre y soberbiowhen resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts
- menos da una piedrawhen resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts
Swedish skåda inte given häst i munnen
- skåda inte given häst i munnenwhen resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts
Cite this entry
APA
beggars can't be choosers. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beggars%20can't%20be%20choosers
MLA
“beggars can't be choosers.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beggars%20can't%20be%20choosers. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “beggars can't be choosers,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beggars%20can't%20be%20choosers.
Source: beggars can't be choosers on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.