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

• beggared
• beggarly
• broke
• destitute
• dirt-poor
• down-and-out
• famished
• hard up
• impecunious
• indigent
• necessitous
• needful
• needy
• pauperized
• penniless
• penurious
• poor
• poverty-stricken
• skint [chiefly British]
• threadbare

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

Pope Francis was the first pope to take the name of St. Francis of Assisi, well-known for his call for engagement with the impoverished, love of creation and the Church. —Gabriele Regalbuto, FOXNews.com, 26 Apr. 2025

The dedication to care for impoverished women and children continues to influence the culture and values of Mercy today. —Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025

Mineral extraction has damaging social consequences in developing countries, where the impoverished are often compelled to work in unsafe and unhygienic conditions. —Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025

Industry depended on impoverished workers with no other option but the tedium of mass manufacturing. — Made By History, Time, 21 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1