IMPOVERISHED Synonyms: 146 Similar and Opposite Words

impoverished 1 of 2

adjective

im-ˈpä-v(ə-)risht

Definition of impoverished

as in poor

lacking money or material possessions the widespread hope that the lottery's record-setting jackpot is won by an impoverished family

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in desolate

producing inferior or only a small amount of vegetation an impoverished field that over the years had been overgrazed

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

impoverished

2 of 2

verb

past tense of impoverish

as in pauperized

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Dissimilar Words

as in depleted

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Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of impoverished

Adjective

Parton had came from an impoverished upbringing, and used her fame to focus on philanthropy and support for those in need. — Amethyst Martinez, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026 About one-fifth of Florida’s impoverished elderly people live in the county, state records show. — Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026 Behind the scenes, this gritty, impoverished circus company wrestles with violence, illness and animal cruelty. — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026 That is a symptom of an impoverished understanding of a leadership role. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for impoverished

Recent Examples of Synonyms for impoverished

Adjective

Dozens of companies have withdrawn over the past decades due to poor profits, an uncertain business outlook and concerns about harm to their reputations from making arms, especially lethal weapons.

— Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026
Along the way, the audience can expect tons of humiliation, terrible second prizes, and the guarantee that Robertson will turn at least one poor soul's wrong turn into several minutes of unhinged public destruction.

— Rebecca Rosman, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of poor

Adjective

Exploring Indonesia—an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands—over more than a decade has led me to some truly jaw-dropping beaches, some gloriously desolate, others vibrantly alive with international travelers, expats, and locals.

— Kathryn Romeyn, Travel + Leisure, 26 Aug. 2026
Noisemaker feels a genuine kinship with the Gallico story, including its setting, a desolate stretch of coastline in eastern England.

— Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of desolate

Verb

Three winemakers earlier this month filed suit against the owner of Hundred Acre Wines, Jayson Woodbridge, and his company alleging that smoke from the wildfire ruined their harvests, the Press Democrat reported.

— Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
Authorities in Napa County have charged a man for allegedly setting the 2025 Pickett Fire near Calistoga, which burned thousands of acres of Wine Country and ruined grape harvests because of the smoke.

— Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of ruined

Verb

The 2026 Social Security trustees report projects that the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance trust fund will be depleted in the fourth quarter of 2032.

— Joshua Hong, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
The war has also depleted some of the Pentagon’s most important missile stocks, leaving fewer available for another major conflict.

— Steven Beynon, ABC News, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of depleted

Adjective

Rachel and Monica’s West Village sublet gave way to Hannah and Marnie’s Greenpoint apartment—an address that might be considered laughably unattainable by the broke twentysomethings of today.

— Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026
That was about four months after Buc-ee's broke ground near Dayton.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of broke

Adjective

Without vegetation, a barren burn scar allows runoff to flow more quickly.

— Jamie Stengle, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
At the rocky, barren peninsula of Depotodden, though, there was an uncomfortable reminder that even this remote coastline is connected to the rest of the world.

— Sarah Kingdom, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of barren

Verb

Deery becomes the latest player who exhausted their eligibility to sue for an extra year of eligibility.

— Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Sep. 2026
Your eyes will thank you College students often fall asleep without removing their contacts, especially when exhausted from late-night studying or over-intoxicated from partying.

— Dr. Jill Grimes, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of exhausted

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“Impoverished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impoverished. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of impoverished

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

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