Skip to main content
poor

poor

423 1.3
People who have little money or possessions
  • noun
  • /pʊr/
: los pobres
  • The poor have no advocate because the poor can't afford a lobbyist.
  • help the poor
  • care for the poor
  • option for the poor

He says when I feed the poor, the government love me.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • I think Mrs. Richmond's mission to help the poor in Asia should not be interrupted.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Save a large number of refugees and the poor from hunger as fast as possible.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • How can you help the poor if you never been poor?

  • The best thing to do for the poor is not to be one of them.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • There they provided care for the poor and the seriously ill.

  • What did we do for the poor?

  • I gave it away to the poor.

  • When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Inequality crises hurt the poor a lot, and they hurt the middle.

  • In the local community, many organizations work tirelessly to provide food and shelter for the poor.

Synonyms

poor people
vspoor
173 1.0

People who have little money and few things

is the single-word form used to name that same group
37 3.3

People who have little money or few chances

is the direct word for lack of money without euphemism
needy
vspoor
29 1.0

People who do not have enough food, clothes, or a home

focuses on general group lack of money rather than need for help
lower class
vspoor
20 2.7

People with little money, education, or power in society

refers to economic lack as a group rather than social status
pauper
vspoor
18 7.4

A very poor person who depends on public charity

refers to the general group with little money, not extreme cases
underclass
vspoor
  • Specialized
16 5.5

A group of people at the bottom of society who are poor and have few chances to improve their lives

describes lack of money simply as group membership, not social position
have-not
vspoor
16 7.3

A person who has little money and few things

names the general group rather than singling out individuals
unwealthy
vspoor
5.6

People who have little money

is the more common single-word label for that same group

Antonyms

328 1.3

People who have a lot of money and property

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
upper-class
42 4.3
middle-class
309 3.2
lower-class
13 3.5
poor
423 1.3
destitute
22 6.5

Surface Forms

poor singular
poors plural

Etymology

Poor as a noun comes from the old Latin word pauper, which meant 'having little'. So 'the poor' means the group of people who have little money or few possessions and need help.