1
as in impoverished
lacking money or material possessions
every year, we make up a basket of food at Thanksgiving for a poor family in the neighborhood
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in desolate
producing inferior or only a small amount of vegetation
land that is too poor for farming
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in scarce
less plentiful than what is normal, necessary, or desirable
a poor crop because of the drought this year
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
a pretty poor musician, even for a garage band
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5
as in terrible
of low quality
the poor workmanship of the goods from that store
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6
as in pitiful
deserving of one's pity
aw, the poor kitten hurt its paw
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of poor
The case of Okinawa, a group of relatively poor islands in the south of Japan, is instructive.
—
Dhruv Khullar,
New Yorker,
29 June 2026
What keeps Wikipedia trustworthy is the same thing that keeps it poor by design.
—
Afdhel Aziz,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2026
Others have been declared saintly for their devotion to the sick and poor.
—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
29 June 2026
That design means sedentary days, long flights, poor sleep, dehydration and hormonal shifts can all slow it down.
—
Allison Palmer,
Charlotte Observer,
29 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for poor
Dhruv Khullar,
New Yorker,
29 June 2026
What keeps Wikipedia trustworthy is the same thing that keeps it poor by design.
—
Afdhel Aziz,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2026
Others have been declared saintly for their devotion to the sick and poor.
—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
29 June 2026
That design means sedentary days, long flights, poor sleep, dehydration and hormonal shifts can all slow it down.
—
Allison Palmer,
Charlotte Observer,
29 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for poor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poor
Adjective
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South Africa has a history of xenophobic violence as migrants from poor nations like Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi generally end up settling in impoverished communities in South Africa where unemployment and frustrations are high.
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Dreesen moved to Los Angeles, living on $1 a day and hitchhiking to The Comedy Store, begging for a set and bonding with other impoverished comedians.
Adjective
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Wilderness Little Kulala is about a 45-minute drive outside the park, located in a seemingly desolate rocky plain with harsh, jagged mountains interspersed throughout the flatlands.
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Most of the women disappeared between 2000 and 2010, and most of their remains were found on a desolate parkway not far from Long Island’s Gilgo Beach, some 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Manhattan.
Adjective
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Pools are scarce in the area, Haze noted, and the marketing leans into that rarity — especially when paired with immediate beach access.
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With memory supply scarce and pricey, consumer electronics companies have spent the past six months pulling various levers to manage the situation, from reconfiguring product SKUs in order to reduce the bill of materials to reluctantly hiking prices.
Adjective
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In their grievance letter, the detainees called the markups an unacceptable business practice with no apparent limit.
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Overt racial prejudice, long considered socially unacceptable, is increasingly visible in public life, marking a shift from previously subtle forms.
Adjective
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Thank you to everyone who read or contributed to this column over the years, who reached out to me with story ideas or tips, or complimented my terrible artwork.
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Visitors will see his Rough Riders uniform; the 1884 diary grieving his terrible loss; and the eyeglasses case, speech and shirt from the 1912 assassination attempt against him.
Adjective
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Completing the hat trick in pitiful style, Taking on the World was shot on a shoestring budget, helmed by the man behind Highlander III, and forced to rely on stock footage of real-life footballers.
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Given the national team’s pitiful demise at the Oval, with New Zealand completing victory on the fifth morning, Ben Stokes’ revival in absentia feels like the only consolation from a miserable week.
Adjective
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There were complaints about the car traffic and the financial cost to the broke city.
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Three years into his term, America wasn't broke, but the stock market did experience some of its biggest single-day losses during the coronavirus pandemic.
Adjective
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The fires eviscerated many of the plants and trees in and around the burn zones, leaving behind barren lots and charred swaths of parkland.
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There are quite a few interesting options this summer, especially compared to last year’s barren goalie landscape that was headlined by veteran backups.
Cite this Entry
“Poor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poor. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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