What does cadged mean?
Cadged is the simple past tense and past participle of the verb "cadge," meaning to obtain something by asking for it rather than earning or buying it. A person who has cadged a lift, a cigarette, or a free meal has acquired it through persistent or cheeky asking, usually without any intention of repaying the favour. The word is informal and slightly derogatory in tone, implying that the person relies habitually on others' generosity, though it is frequently used playfully between friends. It appears most often in British English but is widely understood elsewhere. The noun form "cadger" describes such a person, and historically referred to itinerant pedlars who transported fish and other goods by cart. Related expressions include "cadging a lift" and "cadging money off" someone. For writers seeking a vivid alternative to "begged" or "scrounged," cadged offers a colourful, colloquial option with centuries of history behind it.
verbCadged is the simple past tense and past participle of "cadge," meaning to have obtained something by asking for it rather than earning or paying for it, often persistently or shamelessly.
- To have obtained something by asking for it, especially food, money, or small favours, without paying or offering anything in return.
"He cadged a cigarette off a stranger outside the pub."
"She cadged a lift into town from her neighbour."
"As students they cadged meals off anyone who would invite them over."
A "cadger" was once an actual job title — itinerant pedlars who carried their goods by horse-and-cart were called cadgers before the word came to mean someone who lives off other people's generosity.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cadged
The verb "cadge" emerged in English in the early 17th century, originally meaning to carry about, as pedlars did with their wares. It likely derives from "cadger," a term for an itinerant dealer or carrier of fish, whose own origins are uncertain but may relate to dialect words for a milk pail or carrier's basket. By the mid-17th century the sense had shifted to mean begging or obtaining by asking, which remains the dominant meaning today. The noun "cadger" survives as the word for a habitual scrounger.
Related word forms
How cadged is actually used
Informal register, common in British English though well understood in American English. It carries a mildly disapproving connotation, suggesting freeloading or cheeky reliance on others' generosity, but is often used humorously among friends rather than as a serious accusation.
Easily confused with cadged
"Caged" means confined in a cage, while "cadged" means obtained by begging or scrounging.