penniless

adjective

pen·​ni·​less ˈpe-ni-ləs How to pronounce penniless (audio)
Synonyms of pennilessnext
: destitute of money

Examples of penniless in a Sentence

She was unemployed and penniless. went from being a penniless girl to owner of her own restaurant
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The show followed an exuberantly wealthy family who became penniless overnight after falling victim to fraud. Jack Dunn, Variety, 5 Apr. 2026 Alexander was, at this point, nearly penniless, moving from her large home to a one-room apartment in 1986 and taking a job at a local retirement home. Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 4 Apr. 2026 Georgia is just one of many states where lawmakers are attempting to deal with penniless transactions. Dan Raby, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026 McGregor, on the other hand, had viewers in the palm of his hand as Christian, the penniless writer who falls in love with Satine despite her commitment to a truly vile duke, who has invested in the Moulin Rouge and promised to make Satine’s dreams of stage stardom come true. Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for penniless

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of penniless was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Penniless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/penniless. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

penniless

adjective
pen·​ni·​less ˈpen-i-ləs How to pronounce penniless (audio)
ˈpen-ᵊl-əs
: having no money : very poor

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