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

As Rose’s impoverished yet imperious mother Ruth, Parson’s dry deliveries offer great comic ballast to this ship of fools. —Frank Rizzo, Variety, 13 Apr. 2026

Jack grew up in an impoverished single-parent household and David is from a wealthy Texan family. —Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2026

Haiti, the most impoverished country in the Western Hemisphere, has been hit the hardest by rising oil prices that experts warn will deepen a spiraling humanitarian crisis. —Evens Sanon, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026

The movie tells the story of Balram (Adrarsh Gourav), a successful entrepreneur whose career belies his impoverished beginnings. —James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1