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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in pitiful
deserving of one's pity
aw, the poor kitten hurt its paw
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Try This Instead
Try This InsteadFor
Try This
poor quality
a poor judgment
an unwise judgment
a lousy judgment
a questionable judgment
a horrible judgment
an improper judgment
a poor performance
a weak performance
an unacceptable performance
a negative performance
an inadequate performance
a horrendous performance
a poor condition
a deteriorated condition
a shabby condition
a sub-par condition
a shoddy condition
a pitiful condition
poor nutrition
unbalanced nutrition
improper nutrition
deficient nutrition
unhealthy nutrition
insufficient nutrition
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of poor
In Miami’s poorer communities, such as Allapattah and Liberty City, a helicopter inspection suggested extensive roof damage to homes, businesses and churches.
—
Miami Herald, 11 July 2025
The day before the Apollo 11 moon launch on 16 July 1969, Ralph Abernathy, Martin Luther King’s successor as head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, led a march of poor Black families, complete with wagons drawn by mules, to the fence of Cape Kennedy in Florida.
—Ekow Eshun
july 11, Literary Hub, 11 July 2025
For certain situations, particularly if someone is in poor health, experts generally say claiming early makes sense.
—Lorie Konish, CNBC, 11 July 2025
But August is perhaps a poor month in which to rally the staff.
—John Updike, New Yorker, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for poor
Miami Herald, 11 July 2025
The day before the Apollo 11 moon launch on 16 July 1969, Ralph Abernathy, Martin Luther King’s successor as head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, led a march of poor Black families, complete with wagons drawn by mules, to the fence of Cape Kennedy in Florida.
—Ekow Eshun
july 11, Literary Hub, 11 July 2025
For certain situations, particularly if someone is in poor health, experts generally say claiming early makes sense.
—Lorie Konish, CNBC, 11 July 2025
But August is perhaps a poor month in which to rally the staff.
—John Updike, New Yorker, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for poor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poor
Adjective
-
Many are located in impoverished barrios dominated by criminals — who are now demanding a cut of their tuition fees.—
John Otis,
NPR,
7 July 2025
-
The ignorant need cultural immersion at the American Museum of the Cuban Diaspora, which tells the story of those who fled the Cuban island that went from a free, prosperous republic to an oppressive, impoverished dictatorship within a single generation.—
Luka Ladan,
New York Daily News,
5 July 2025
Adjective
-
Griffith also describes in vivid detail the desolate Hopi landscape and the villages atop the three mesas.—
Sandra Dallas,
Denver Post,
13 July 2025
-
Despite its desolate appearance, Bouvet is surprisingly rich in bird life.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
Adjective
-
But for most people real human attention is scarce.—
Paul Bloom,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
-
Longevity Delivers More Than Health These stories prove what’s possible, even when resources are scarce.—
Sylvana Quader Sinha,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Adjective
-
The use of unilateral sanctions against Special Rapporteurs or any other UN expert or official is unacceptable.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 July 2025
-
Students, both the ones who behave and the ones who misbehave, need to know that there are real consequences for unacceptable behavior.—
Carrie Lukas,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
Adjective
-
And because of that, it’s shielded us from the terrible things that happen downstream in the supply chain.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
8 July 2025
-
Vegas bounced back from a terrible loss to the Fever with an 86-68 win over the Sun on Sunday.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 July 2025
Adjective
-
And at times, in certain places and situations, it was expected and welcome—on a long walk, or when a person confessed something pitiful, or at a funeral or a party.—
Zadie Smith,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
-
This could have been a sad or pitiful moment; instead, it was suffused with warmth.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
12 June 2025
Adjective
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Meanwhile, lawmakers learned Wednesday that Social Security and Medicare are expected to go broke earlier than last projected because of rising costs, according to the funds’ trustees.—
Kristina Karisch,
The Hill,
19 June 2025
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But Lucy is a pragmatist, recalling an anniversary fight with John when they were broke and unhappy.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2025
Adjective
-
The jetliner heading to Nairobi lost control shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport and nose-dived into a barren patch of land.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
13 July 2025
-
However, planting vegetation under solar panels—as opposed to the more traditional method of siting solar arrays on somewhat barren land—can help cool them.—
Robert Pearlman,
ArsTechnica,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Poor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poor. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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