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

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

as in depleted

Related Words

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

Three gunmen barged into a small house in an impoverished neighborhood in South Africa and opened fire on a group enjoying a party inside, killing at least 11 people including a pregnant woman, police and local authorities said Wednesday. — ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026 In 1693, Antoine Theroux, an impoverished 18-year-old boatman, was recruited to defend New France, as Canada was then known, against the Indigenous tribes and the British for King Louis XIV. — Heller McAlpin, Christian Science Monitor, 23 Sep. 2026 But perhaps the most impressive thing the seemingly tireless Parton did during her 80 years was donate much of her wealth to impoverished communities. — Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026 Her troubled and impoverished family sends her to another family’s farm so the girl’s overwhelmed mother can give birth to yet another child. — Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for impoverished

Recent Examples of Synonyms for impoverished

Adjective

Measles usually kills two or three people in every 1,000 cases, the WHO says, but the disease can be more deadly in poorer nations because of factors such as malnutrition.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
That receiver sends that poor defender into next week at the pylon.

— Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of poor

Adjective

As filmmakers, they were drawn to the unexpected beauty of the desolate, postindustrial landscape.

— Kim Velsey, Curbed, 9 Oct. 2026
Obscenities, the referee’s whistle, and the thud of boots into balls—and sometimes shins—easily carry across these desolate fields.

— Vanda Mayer, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of desolate

Verb

In the last quarter-century, relentless drought intensified by climate change has sapped the river’s flow and left its reservoirs severely depleted.

— Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Yet Kyiv’s stockpile has dried up as the United States husbands an arsenal that has been significantly depleted by the Iran war.

— Eric Ciaramella, Foreign Affairs, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of depleted

Adjective

Chastain goes for broke with melodrama as both the real and fake Mommies.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
The fact that the region’s broke local government is paying a total of 12 million for a renewable partnership with the Centre Pompidou doesn’t help.

— Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of broke

Adjective

Centered on the town of Bawiti, this remote depression in Egypt’s Western Desert is surrounded by barren hills, date palms, hot springs and sweeping desert landscapes.

— Jamie Carter, Space.com, 10 Oct. 2026
In Samuel Beckett's tragicomedy, two men wait beside a barren tree for someone called Godot who never arrives.

— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of barren

Verb

Taps won't go dry, experts say, in part because Arizona has already reduced its water use over the years.

— Hannah Knowles The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
But for Deakins, the work is too dependent on the circumstances of a story, and the people telling it, to be reduced to any one method.

— Callum McLennan, Variety, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of reduced

Verb

The person with the least votes after each round is eliminated, with ballots reapportioned or exhausted until the winner clears 50%.

— Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 14 Oct. 2026
In fact, even before the show actually starts, Bob can be exhausted, having been awake since some ridiculous hour.

— Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of exhausted

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“Impoverished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impoverished. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of impoverished

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

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