1
a
: lacking material possessions
b
: of, relating to, or characterized by poverty
2
a
: less than adequate : meager
b
: small in worth
3
: exciting pity
you poor thing
4
a
: inferior in quality or value
c
: mean, petty
5
6
: barren, unproductive
used of land
7
8
: lacking a normal or adequate supply of something specified
often used in combination
oil-poor countries
poorish
ˈpu̇r-ish How to pronounce poor (audio)
ˈpȯr-
adjective
poorness noun

Examples of poor in a Sentence

We were too poor to buy new clothes. The organization helps poor families. She has a poor vocabulary. It was a poor attempt at a joke. He is in poor condition. She couldn't read the sign because her vision was too poor.
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.
This last group is those with still poor (<50) RS Ratings, but strong (>80) 3-month RS Ratings. a. Randy Watts, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025 Here are the inspection scores and violations for restaurants within the city limits of Arlington for June 29th - July 5th, 2025 A score of 100 is a perfect score and 70 is considered to be extremely poor. Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 July 2025 With poor finances, car and home loans will likely be rejected and life decisions like starting a family or getting married could be delayed significantly. Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 July 2025 Some other discounts may seem impressive on the surface, but have consistently poor ratings or only a few sizes in stock. Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 11 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for poor

Word History

Etymology

Middle English poure, from Anglo-French povre, pore, from Latin pauper; akin to Latin paucus little and to Latin parere to give birth to, produce — more at few, pare

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of poor was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Poor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poor. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

poor

1 of 2 adjective
ˈpu̇(ə)r,
ˈpō(ə)r
1
: lacking riches or possessions
2
: less than enough
a poor crop
3
: not good in quality or character of work
4
: lacking fertility
poor land
5
: not satisfactory
the patient had a poor day
6
: lacking in signs of wealth or good taste
poor furnishings
7
: worthy of pity or sympathy
the poor kitten hurt its paw
poorly adverb
poorness noun

poor

2 of 2 plural noun
: poor people
charity for the poor

More from Merriam-Webster on poor

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