as in impoverished
lacking money or material possessions
went from being a penniless girl to owner of her own restaurant
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 penniless
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
Some states are looking to what’s next In the meantime, bills to deal with penniless cash transactions have passed both chambers and await the governor’s signature in Arizona, Florida, Oregon, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington.
—
Hannah Fingerhut,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Mar. 2026
In the meantime, bills to deal with penniless cash transactions have passed both chambers and await the governor's signature in Arizona, Florida, Oregon, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington.
—
ABC News,
11 Mar. 2026
Twenty-four masterpieces, many rarely lent, were gathered from museums all over the world and brought together in the city where Caravaggio, born Michelangelo Merisi, arrived penniless in 1592.
—
Nicole Krauss,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for penniless
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Mar. 2026
Some states are looking to what’s next In the meantime, bills to deal with penniless cash transactions have passed both chambers and await the governor’s signature in Arizona, Florida, Oregon, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington.
—
Hannah Fingerhut,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Mar. 2026
In the meantime, bills to deal with penniless cash transactions have passed both chambers and await the governor's signature in Arizona, Florida, Oregon, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington.
—
ABC News,
11 Mar. 2026
Twenty-four masterpieces, many rarely lent, were gathered from museums all over the world and brought together in the city where Caravaggio, born Michelangelo Merisi, arrived penniless in 1592.
—
Nicole Krauss,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for penniless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penniless
Adjective
-
South Africa has a history of xenophobic violence as migrants from poor nations like Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi generally end up settling in impoverished communities in South Africa where unemployment and frustrations are high.
-
Dreesen moved to Los Angeles, living on $1 a day and hitchhiking to The Comedy Store, begging for a set and bonding with other impoverished comedians.
Adjective
-
Rebecca Lowe joins Dan Patrick to discuss some of the top storylines around the World Cup, including Cristiano Ronaldo's poor play to start, the United States' potential and more.
-
Will the gap between rural and urban America – and the gap between rich and poor America – decline or grow?
Adjective
-
Three years into his term, America wasn't broke, but the stock market did experience some of its biggest single-day losses during the coronavirus pandemic.
-
This week, Knicks fans had a big win after a big loss; fans of inflation were delighted and World Cup fans went broke.
Cite this Entry
“Penniless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penniless. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
