poor

adjective

ˈpu̇r How to pronounce poor (audio)
Definition of poornext
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

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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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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

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 poor Forgetfulness can have many causes besides dementia, including poor sleep, depression or anxiety, vitamin deficiencies, thyroid problems, and certain medications. — Danielle Zickl, HEALTH, 31 Aug. 2026 For the past two years, Philadelphia’s city controller’s office has cited the School District of Philadelphia for its poor accountability of capital assets. — Kathryn Blackman, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026 Attacks typically are combined with poor impulse control, a lack of empathy or potentially a mental health issue. — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 31 Aug. 2026 The hat business sustained Matisse and their three children, at least until 1903, when Amélie, in poor health, was forced to close the shop. — Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for poor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poor
  1. impoverished
  2. desolate
  3. scarce
  4. unacceptable
  5. terrible
  6. pitiful
  7. broke
  8. barren
Adjective
  • 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
  • The loosened restrictions will not empower Washington to pursue investment and economic cooperation with al Sharaa’s government, which could transform the impoverished country.
    — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of impoverished
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
Adjective
  • For reference, antimony is a relatively scarce metal/mineral used in things like flame retardants, batteries, electronics, and defense applications.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
  • David Szondy/New Atlas What was needed was a cheap, effective weapon that could be produced quickly and in large numbers with the scarce resources available in a country committed to total war.
    — David Szondy August 30, New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of scarce
Adjective
  • That explanation, which was given to Quatraro on the field, clearly was unacceptable to the Royals manager.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Both noted that any sort of political violence is unacceptable.
    — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of unacceptable
Adjective
  • Whether the outcome will be terrible or beautiful is unclear.
    — Robert Rubsam, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Feral pigeons are famously terrible nest builders and are drawn to buildings and roofs with features like solar panels, chimneys, eaves, and AC units to make their homes.
    — Molly Burford, Southern Living, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of terrible
Adjective
  • 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.
    — Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 26 June 2026
  • 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.
    — Hector Vickers, New York Times, 21 June 2026
Definition of pitiful
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

Browse Nearby Words

pooped
poor
poorish
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Cite this Entry

“Poor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poor. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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