Synonym Chooser

How is the word destitution distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of destitution are indigence, penury, poverty, and want. While all these words mean "the state of one with insufficient resources," want and destitution imply extreme poverty that threatens life itself through starvation or exposure.

lived in a perpetual state of want
the widespread destitution in countries beset by famine

When might indigence be a better fit than destitution?

While the synonyms indigence and destitution are close in meaning, indigence implies seriously straitened circumstances.

the indigence of her years as a graduate student

When could penury be used to replace destitution?

The meanings of penury and destitution largely overlap; however, penury suggests a cramping or oppressive lack of money.

a catastrophic illness that condemned them to years of penury

When can poverty be used instead of destitution?

The synonyms poverty and destitution are sometimes interchangeable, but poverty may cover a range from extreme want of necessities to an absence of material comforts.

the extreme poverty of the slum dwellers

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 destitution More Bashar Taleb/Getty Images What To Know The IPC, a global initiative led by UN agencies, governments, and aid groups, elevated Gaza Governorate, which includes Gaza City, to Phase 5—the highest level of food insecurity—marked by starvation, destitution, and death. Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025 That means at least one in five people or households severely lack food and face starvation and destitution. Edith M. Lederer, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025 All the hallmarks of American poverty — bad food, obesity and urban blight — coalesced in an apocalyptic scene of destitution and vagrancy. Andrew Moore, New York Times, 15 May 2025 The latest estimates, as of August 2021, put the value of Russia’s National Wealth Fund at about $185 billion and its foreign currency reserves at $615 billion—hardly a picture of destitution. Michael Kofman, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2021 See All Example Sentences for destitution
Recent Examples of Synonyms for destitution
Noun
  • Families with incomes not exceeding 200% of the federal poverty level are eligible to participate in Wisconsin Shares, and may remain eligible until their income reaches 85% of the state median income.
    Jessie Opoien, jsonline.com, 1 Oct. 2025
  • If not renewed, those earning above 400% of the federal poverty level will lose subsidies, while those below 100% will see reduced support.
    Beth Warren, Nashville Tennessean, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • By the time the misery was over, Skubal walked toward the dugout, took a hard seat on the bench and clasped his hands.
    Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
  • Far from signaling misery, crying can be a source of pleasure, as when people pay good money to read a tearjerker or watch a three-hankie movie.
    Big Think, Big Think, 23 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Destitution.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destitution. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on destitution

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