impoverished

adjective

im·​pov·​er·​ished im-ˈpä-v(ə-)risht 

1

: reduced to poverty : poor

an impoverished family/community

2

: exhausted of richness or fertility

impoverished soils

3

of a fauna or flora : represented by few species or individuals

Synonyms of impoverished

• poor
• broke
• beggared
• deprived
• bankrupt

Examples of impoverished in a Sentence

the widespread hope that the lottery's record-setting jackpot is won by an impoverished family

an impoverished field that over the years had been overgrazed

Recent Examples on the Web

Surrounded by some of the most diverse and impoverished neighborhoods, White Stadium has long been a refuge for residents to take morning walks, play high school sports, see concerts, attend rallies, or send their children to summer camps. —Riley Rourke, CBS News, 14 Mar. 2026

Centuries of penal laws had left Catholics as impoverished tenant farmers, while Protestants – wealthier and less reliant on the crop – had greater resources to survive. —Paula Kane, The Conversation, 13 Mar. 2026

Salt was another luxury for the impoverished migrants. —Literary Hub, 4 Mar. 2026

Cinema-going culture has struggled to take hold in much of South Africa, particularly in townships and other impoverished communities, prompting the organizers to focus on building that culture in the next generation of South African moviegoers and filmmakers. —Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 2 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1