1
a
: lacking sufficient money or material possessions
too poor to buy new clothes
b
: of, relating to, or characterized by poverty
a poor nation
2
a
: less than adequate : meager
a poor effort
poor attendance
b
: small in worth
3
: exciting pity
you poor thing
4
a
: inferior in quality or value
had poor language skills
b
6
: barren, unproductive
—used of land
7
: indifferent, unfavorable
had a poor opinion of them
a poor profession
8
: lacking a normal or adequate supply of something specified
—often used in combination
oil-poor countries
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
The Ministry of Environment blamed this year’s surge on a poor acorn harvest – which drove a similar spate of attacks in 2023.
—
Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
But before being able to fulfill that promise, Victor dies while aboard the ship due to his poor health.
—Yasmeen Hamadeh, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
The researchers focused on lithium aluminum alloys and examined how lithium ions navigate two internal phases, known as the lithium-rich beta phase and the lithium-poor alpha phase.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2025
In recent years, staff have complained of poor working conditions brought on by overcrowding, despite director Laurence des Cars’s 2023 move to cap attendance at 30,000 visitors daily, accompanied by a ticket price increase.
—News Desk, Artforum, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poor
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
But before being able to fulfill that promise, Victor dies while aboard the ship due to his poor health.
—Yasmeen Hamadeh, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
The researchers focused on lithium aluminum alloys and examined how lithium ions navigate two internal phases, known as the lithium-rich beta phase and the lithium-poor alpha phase.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2025
In recent years, staff have complained of poor working conditions brought on by overcrowding, despite director Laurence des Cars’s 2023 move to cap attendance at 30,000 visitors daily, accompanied by a ticket price increase.
—News Desk, Artforum, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poor
Cite this Entry
“Poor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poor. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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