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Glite Dictionary
to scrounge a free meal

to scrounge a free meal

7.8
To get a free meal by asking or finding a chance to eat
  • phrasal verb
  • /ˈskraʊndʒ ə fri miːl/
  • Informal
translation icon : conseguir una comida gratis
  • She often managed to scrounge a free meal at work by showing up near lunchtime.

Examples

  • Whenever Tom visits his friends, he tries to scrounge a free meal by dropping hints about being hungry.

  • At college, it was common to scrounge a free meal by attending club meetings with free food.

  • He tried to scrounge a free meal at the event.

  • Don't scrounge a free meal from strangers!

  • At college, it was common to scrounge a free meal by attending club meetings that offered complimentary snacks.

  • She often managed to scrounge a free meal by arriving at work just before lunchtime when food was available.

  • Whenever Tom visits his friends, he tries to scrounge a free meal by casually mentioning his hunger during dinner.

Synonyms

to freeload
vsto scrounge a free meal
  • Informal
6 7.5

To get food, a place to stay, or other help without giving anything in return

is used for getting a single meal rather than ongoing benefits
to mooch off
vsto scrounge a free meal
  • Informal
5 8.6

To get food, money, or help from someone without paying

focuses specifically on getting a free meal by seeking chances or relying on generosity
to scrounge
vsto scrounge a free meal
  • Informal
4 7.0

To get things by asking others without giving anything in return

focuses on a meal and often uses casual opportunities or others' inattention
to bum
vsto scrounge a free meal
  • Informal
1 7.5

To get something free by asking someone

is about seeking a meal without payment often by spotting informal chances
to scunge off
vsto scrounge a free meal
  • Offensive
9.9

To take free things or help from other people without giving anything back

is about getting a meal without paying and not broadly exploiting generosity

Antonyms

to pay
∞ 1.0

To give money for something you buy or owe

How Free

to mooch
  • Informal
12 8.5
to scrounge a free meal
  • Informal
7.8
to pay
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

scrounge a free meal infinitive
scrounged a free meal past
scrounged a free meal past participle
scrounging a free meal present participle
scrounges a free meal third person singular

Morphology

scrounge + a + free + meal

The meaning is directly compositional: 'scrounge' (to try to get something by asking or cajoling) applied to 'a free meal' yields 'obtain a meal without paying'. The components and their combination follow a straightforward logic common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words should be able to infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Scrounge a free meal comes from the verb scrounge, which means to search for or ask for small things like food; picture someone looking for leftovers or politely asking friends until they get a free meal. That's why it means 'to obtain a meal without paying'.