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poor

poor

893 1.0
Having little money or possessions
  • adjective
  • /pʊr/
: pobre
  • You can be dirt poor and still be a good person.
  • poor people
  • poor households
  • very poor

And we work with some of the poorest people in, in Afghanistan.

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Examples

  • I was born in Germany in the fifties to young and poor academic parents.

    Academic text (2011)
  • My father grew up really poor, really, really, really poor.

  • We were really poor, but I had good credit.

  • I mean, my dad was poor, became rich and I was born.

  • When 40% or more of students come from poor families, a school is identified as Title I.

    Academic text (2011)
  • The poor guy didn't have enough for a cup of coffee.

  • Despite their work, they remained poor and dependent on public welfare for basic meals.

    Academic text (2008)
  • He collected food and old clothes for poor people.

  • Bill Gates says if you're born poor, that's not your fault.

  • Many families in the area are considered poor, struggling to meet their basic needs.

Synonyms

broke
vspoor
  • Informal
336 1.8

Having no money

is the broader condition of low wealth rather than temporary lack
impoverished
vspoor
53 6.2

People or places that have very little money and few things they need

means having little money but is less intense than this term
needy
vspoor
41 1.5

Without enough food, clothes, or a home and often gets help from others

refers to having little money but not necessarily needing support
penniless
vspoor
25 4.3

Having no money

describes having little money but not the absolute lack implied here
deprived
vspoor
23 3.9

Not having basic things like enough food, a safe home, or clean water

means having little money but not always missing basic needs
destitute
vspoor
22 6.5

Very poor and without basic things like food or a home

covers having little money but not necessarily lacking life's basics
indigent
vspoor
  • Formal
18 8.7

Very poor and without enough money for basic needs

is less severe, meaning having little money without guaranteed need
10 5.1

Very poor and needing help to live

means having little money but without implying extreme hardship
beggarly
vspoor
1 8.1

Very poor and living with almost no money

is the neutral phrase for having little money rather than the begging image
poor as a church mouse
vspoor
  • Informal
1 7.6

Having almost no money

is the straightforward description of having little money without the idiom
stony-broke
vspoor
  • Informal
1 9.3

With no money at all

is a general state of low money, not the absolute zero implied here
moneyless
vspoor
1 5.7

Having no money to pay for things

means having little money but not necessarily having zero funds
propertyless
vspoor
1 8.4

Not having a home, money, or other things of value

focuses on low money or possessions rather than ownership specifically
necessitous
vspoor
  • Literature
1 9.9

Poor and without enough food, money or shelter

is a general term for having little money, not extreme need
unwealthy
vspoor
1 3.7

Not having much money or valuable things

is the everyday, slightly broader description of having little money
poorish
vspoor
  • Informal
1 4.0

Not having much money or many things

describes the common state of having little money without the mild tone
penurious
vspoor
  • Formal
1 9.9

Very poor and unable to pay for basic needs

is similar but usually describes a less severe money shortage
poor as a rat
vspoor
  • Informal
8.3

Having almost no money or things

is the plain term for low funds without colorful language

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

Having a lot of money and valuable things

613 2.5

Having a lot of money and many expensive things

61 5.5

Having a lot of money and possessions

Idioms

1 7.6

Having almost no money

1 7.5

A period when someone has many problems and feels unhappy

poor as a rat
  • Informal
8.3

Having almost no money or things

Compounds

173 1.0

People who have little money and few things

16 3.5

A choice that is not wise and causes problems

8 1.0

A person who has very little money and few things

The difference in how much money and comfort rich and poor people have

poor devil
  • Informal
4 5.4

A person you feel sorry for

3 9.9

An offensive name for poor white people in the southern United States

A young woman who seems unhappy or lonely even though she has a lot of money

poor relation
  • Offensive
2 5.4

A person or thing that others see as less important than the rest of the group

2 7.6

Spending most of your money on home costs so you have little left

A young man who has a lot of money but feels lonely or unhappy

1 5.5

A place in a church where people put money to help needy people

poor law
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A law that gives money or food to poor people, often in old Britain

poor rates
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A local tax collected to help people with little money

poor power quality
  • Specialized
1 6.1

An unstable electricity supply that causes sudden rises or drops in power

1 8.7

A cheap drink or drug like coffee that people use to feel more awake

poor fish
  • Offensive
1 9.9

A person who is not very clever and is easy to trick

A garden flower with delicate, multicolored petals that looks like a tropical flower

5.3

A large sandwich made from a long crusty roll filled with meat and cheese

9.9

A climbing plant grown for its edible seeds and animal feed in dry areas

A cheap, simple investment people use instead of a more expensive one

A cheap dish of ground beef used like steak

A small plant with bright flowers that close before rain

7.6

A cheap substitute for butter like margarine or peanut butter

How Wealthy

wealthy
613 2.5
well-off
38 3.4
comfortable
17 2.9
poor
893 1.0
impoverished
53 6.2
destitute
22 6.5

Surface Forms

poor positive
poorer comparative
poorest superlative

Etymology

Poor comes from an old Latin word pauper, meaning 'having little'. So a 'poor' person is someone who has only a few things or little money, and that is why the word now means not wealthy.