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
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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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of poor
During the Obama and Biden administrations, the US used its bully pulpit to drag more recalcitrant countries like China and the Gulf petrostates to the table and sign them on to promises to cut carbon and shell out cash to help poorer countries.
—
Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 6 Nov. 2025
Was Ciattarelli just a poor candidate?
—Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 6 Nov. 2025
The team's poor results both this season and in 2024 haven't helped matters.
—Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
Not Repotting Over time, potting soil becomes depleted in nutrients or gets too dense to drain properly, leading to poor or no flowering in Christmas cacti.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poor
Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 6 Nov. 2025
Was Ciattarelli just a poor candidate?
—Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 6 Nov. 2025
The team's poor results both this season and in 2024 haven't helped matters.
—Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
Not Repotting Over time, potting soil becomes depleted in nutrients or gets too dense to drain properly, leading to poor or no flowering in Christmas cacti.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poor
Adjective
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All the struggling, impoverished Californians who wish their lives were better?—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Nov. 2025
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The flood of people overwhelmed Bajo Chiquito, an impoverished community of 382 members of the Indigenous Emberá-Wounaan people.—
Daniel Gonzalez,
AZCentral.com,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The Irvines’ son died in the crash, and Peter used the cover of the most inexplicably desolate street in Chicago to switch his body for Carrie’s healthy son while the two women lay unconscious.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
8 Nov. 2025
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Almost always surrounded by bare, desolate mountains.—
Joe Baur,
Outside,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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As housing remains scarce, pricey, and out of reach, the share of first-time home buyers has hit an all-time low.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
4 Nov. 2025
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Cost of living is raging, high-paying job opportunities are scarce, and layoffs are on the rise.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Not making payments to them for even another day is simply unacceptable.—
Katherine Faulders,
ABC News,
7 Nov. 2025
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Hufanga deemed that first-quarter Jeanty touchdown unacceptable because any touchdown is unacceptable at this point to Denver’s defense.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The groundbreaking research penetrated the last moments of the young nobleman, who suffered a terrible 26 blows.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Nov. 2025
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History is full of cases where great bands make terrible records, yet history stands speechless at what the Clash accomplished here.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Even the minimum requirement — qualifying for the Champions League — depends on it because six points out of a possible 18 away from home so far is pitiful.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
10 Nov. 2025
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With a release on just over 2,000 screens, that's a pitiful per-theater-average of $649.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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If only every actor could find the chance to to exercise such go-for-broke freedom.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
6 Nov. 2025
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Continue reading … NOT SO 'POPULAR' – Former 'Wicked' star reveals backlash over Charlie Kirk comments 'nearly broke' her.—
,
FOXNews.com,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The barren Martian landscape stretches as far as the eye can see, interrupted only occasionally by the faintest of tire tracks marking the unpaved road on Libya’s north-south route.—
Mick Krever,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
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In the wild, macaques can traverse miles of novel terrain each week and socialize through grooming, but in many laboratories they are isolated in barren cages no bigger than a washing machine.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Poor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poor. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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