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

The United States must step away from war and send food to Venezuela’s impoverished people. —William Lambers, Sun Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2026

Leaning into the superstition that someone with albinism can bring wealth to those in need, Panay’s story follows a young boy with albinism (Boubacar Dembèlè), whose voice is believed to hold special powers that can protect impoverished miners risking their lives for gold. —Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 10 Jan. 2026

Flesh is an attempt to write richly about a hollow man, in that hollow man’s own impoverished language. —Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026

Jones said the impoverished village of about 1,800 people continues to struggle financially and politically, to the point where the village is without any legal representation. —Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1