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as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard a pretty poor musician, even for a garage band

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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 poor The extract of horse chestnut seeds can have medical uses to prevent swelling caused by poor blood circulation because of the nut's blood-thinning properties. Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 9 Oct. 2025 Cuomo won in rich and white neighborhoods, but also in poor and Black ones. Eric Lach, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025 These conditions lead to lithium evaporation, higher production costs, and poor scalability. Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2025 Skinner’s poor judgment got the spotlight, but there were other things to note from the loss, too. Daniel Nugent-Bowman, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for poor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poor
Adjective
  • The caravan, which departed earlier this month, is expected to take weeks to reach its destination, where migrants hope to find higher-paying jobs in Mexico’s capital city, rather than its impoverished south.
    Caitlin McFall, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025
  • 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
Adjective
  • 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
  • With its primary tenant away, the pro stadium here in central Japan was desolate outside.
    Brad Lefton, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • 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
  • This is an unacceptable physical and emotional power dynamic, even in a fantasy.
    USA Today, USA Today, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Anything less than the protection of creators and their rights is unacceptable.
    Erik Hayden, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • That's a terrible average to bet your life on.
    Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 4 Oct. 2025
  • 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
  • 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
  • On the side of the highway, Wilson cuts a pitiful, solitary figure.
    Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • 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
  • Where homes, buildings and fields once stood in the southern city of Rafah, there were now craters and barren wastelands.
    Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Those who reached Spain were offered a place to rebuild their lives — on a small, barren island.
    Miquel Ros, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Poor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poor. Accessed 12 Oct. 2025.

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