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
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
The United Nations predicts the cost of reconstruction in the impoverished territory is a staggering $70 billion.
—
NPR, 16 Oct. 2025
Set within the League of Legends universe, the Netflix series follows sisters Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) and Jinx (Ella Purnell), who find themselves on opposite sides of a brewing war between the impoverished undercity of Zaun and the futuristic, wealthy city of Piltover.
—Abby Monteil, Them., 15 Oct. 2025
Pakistan is the main source of goods and food supplies for landlocked, impoverished Afghanistan.
—Reuters, NBC news, 15 Oct. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for impoverished
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.
NPR, 16 Oct. 2025
Set within the League of Legends universe, the Netflix series follows sisters Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) and Jinx (Ella Purnell), who find themselves on opposite sides of a brewing war between the impoverished undercity of Zaun and the futuristic, wealthy city of Piltover.
—Abby Monteil, Them., 15 Oct. 2025
Pakistan is the main source of goods and food supplies for landlocked, impoverished Afghanistan.
—Reuters, NBC news, 15 Oct. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for impoverished
Cite this Entry
“Impoverished.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impoverished. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share