to impoverish
14
6.7
- verb
- /ɪmˈpɑːvərɪʃ/
:
empobrecer
- The loss of recognition for artists, thinkers and scientists has impoverished our culture in innumerable ways.
- impoverished countries
- impoverished people
- impoverishing families
None of the money that they raised went to impoverish black communities.
- None of the money that they raised went to impoverish black communities.
- Now, it may be true that a Korean child studies from dawn to dusk, and that a Korean parent may impoverish himself to support his child studies.
- We need to be able to explain to them and to other people how these rising property prices are going to really impoverish future generations.
- It's impoverished the understanding of the complexity of human gender.
- You see, so the question of poverty, you impoverish me because you define wealth the way you want.
Examples
-
The economic crisis will impoverish many families if jobs are not created soon.
-
We need to be able to explain to them and to other people how these rising property prices are going to really impoverish future generations.
-
Not really... because to be rich, especially in this society, means to impoverish others.
Fiction book (1993) -
To what extent does lack of vision impoverish an individual's cognitive map knowledge?
Academic text (1997) -
When you take this out of a kids education, you impoverish their possibilities both individually and socially.
-
I will not accept lessons in fairness from those who impoverish the entire country and left millions of people out of work.
-
The low prices of wine and the inability to produce enough food greatly impoverished the island population.
Academic text (1993) -
Protectionism impoverishes all of Europe.
-
The typical small farmer, indebted and impoverished, was much in need of such a structure.
Blog text (5) -
Monoculture dramatically impoverished the Micmac, and a lower standard of life was the result.
Academic text (2002)
Synonyms
61
5.1
To make something worse or less able to work
49
5.1
To make something worse in quality or value
22
5.0
To make something seem less important or respected
7
6.9
To make something worth less by adding cheaper material
2
8.4
To make a person or thing very weak
1
6.5
Make a person or thing seem less important and less valuable
1
9.9
To make a person or group very poor
Antonyms
How Poor
Surface Forms
Morphology
impoverish = pover (semi-transparent) = im + pover + ish
The prefix 'im-' modifies the root 'pover', but the shift to a verb form is not entirely obvious.
Etymology
Impoverish comes from the prefix im- meaning 'make' and the same root as poverty, which means 'poor'. So to impoverish someone or something is to make them 'poor' or to take away their money, strength, or quality.