poverty-stricken

adjective

pov·​er·​ty-strick·​en ˈpä-vər-tē-ˌstri-kən How to pronounce poverty-stricken (audio)
: very poor : destitute

Examples of poverty-stricken in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web At the time, Whitechapel was poverty-stricken and overcrowded, with over 76,000 people populating its dilapidated avenues and dwellings. Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 18 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'poverty-stricken.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1786, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of poverty-stricken was in 1786

Dictionary Entries Near poverty-stricken

Cite this Entry

“Poverty-stricken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poverty-stricken. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

poverty-stricken

adjective
pov·​er·​ty-strick·​en
-ˌstrik-ən
: very poor : destitute
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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