impoverished

adjective

im·​pov·​er·​ished im-ˈpä-v(ə-)risht How to pronounce impoverished (audio)
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
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.
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

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of impoverished was in 1611

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Cite this Entry

“Impoverished.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impoverished. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

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