1
as in impoverished
lacking money or material possessions
every year, we make up a basket of food at Thanksgiving for a poor family in the neighborhood
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in desolate
producing inferior or only a small amount of vegetation
land that is too poor for farming
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in scarce
less plentiful than what is normal, necessary, or desirable
a poor crop because of the drought this year
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
a pretty poor musician, even for a garage band
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in terrible
of low quality
the poor workmanship of the goods from that store
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6
as in pitiful
deserving of one's pity
aw, the poor kitten hurt its paw
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of poor
Protests in Morocco and Madagascar, two disparate and distant African countries, highlight the younger generation’s frustrations over enduring years of poor governance.
—
Greg Dixon, NPR, 2 Oct. 2025
Both types feed on plant sap, causing damage to leaves and poor growth.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 2 Oct. 2025
Wirtz’s displays to date have not been uniformly poor — far from it.
—Andy Jones, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
Merger documents note that the building was in poor condition, city documents said, and the diocese was without money to fix it.
—Cate Charron, IndyStar, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poor
Greg Dixon, NPR, 2 Oct. 2025
Both types feed on plant sap, causing damage to leaves and poor growth.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 2 Oct. 2025
Wirtz’s displays to date have not been uniformly poor — far from it.
—Andy Jones, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
Merger documents note that the building was in poor condition, city documents said, and the diocese was without money to fix it.
—Cate Charron, IndyStar, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poor
Adjective
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But the Shah’s failure to provide support to the peasants led to their farms failing, and sent waves of impoverished migrants to Tehran and other Iranian cities—many of whom would later fuel the 1979 revolution.—
Nik Kowsar,
Time,
2 Oct. 2025
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Her existence in the vibrant capital city of Sepphoris brings into questions some of our traditional assumptions of Mary as an impoverished illiterate from a backwater rural village with no exposure to Greco-Roman culture.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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To find the killer, Sherlock Holmes and Watson will have to brave desolate moors before a family curse dooms the newest heirs.—
Meredith G. White,
AZCentral.com,
1 Oct. 2025
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With its primary tenant away, the pro stadium here in central Japan was desolate outside.—
Brad Lefton,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Details remain scarce, but Netflix says that players will have to undergo physical and mental challenges in order to receive clues, with characters like the aforementioned Mustard, Professor Plum and others all represented.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Oct. 2025
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And don’t forget to keep filling the DesGully Window Bird Feeder all winter long—birds come to rely on that food source, especially when the weather’s cold and the food is scarce.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Violence anywhere, especially in a place of worship, is unacceptable.—
James Bickerton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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Other Republicans — especially in the House — see it as an unacceptable expansion of President Barack Obama’s signature health care law, which Republicans have tried to eliminate or cut back since it was enacted 15 years ago.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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That's a terrible average to bet your life on.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
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When his estranged daughter Sam tracks him down, in a last-ditch effort to dig her way out of serious trouble, Mickey must choose between rekindling his relationship with his daughter in the face of a terrible tragedy or pursuing a once-in-a-lifetime career opportunity.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The Browns have scored the second-fewest points in the NFL, ahead of only the pitiful Tennessee Titans.—
Jason Lloyd,
New York Times,
28 Sep. 2025
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On the side of the highway, Wilson cuts a pitiful, solitary figure.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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For some irony, given the licensing deal with Netflix, Korvo and Terry announce that the Solar Opposites are broke, with all of their moneymaking machines zapped.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
29 Sep. 2025
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In another magical Miami tale, a broke witch who works in a spellshop and an adjunct professor who’s secretly a popular himbo mage team up to win a spellcasting reality show competition — except someone is sabotaging the contestants’ work.—
Lia Amador,
PEOPLE,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The Giants have Logan Webb and Robbie Ray as their 1-2 punch, but the starting pitching is barren behind them.—
Drew VonScio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Oct. 2025
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Piazzale Angelo Moratti will no longer appear like a vast docking station for a bleeping spaceship on a barren planet, serviced only by rickety trams and a purple metro line.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Poor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poor. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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