Examples of penniless in a Sentence
She was unemployed and penniless.
went from being a penniless girl to owner of her own restaurant
Recent Examples on the Web
Twenty-four masterpieces, many rarely lent, were gathered from museums all over the world and brought together in the city where Caravaggio, born Michelangelo Merisi, arrived penniless in 1592.
—
Nicole Krauss, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Most every novel written by a Brontë contains some variation on their father’s eternal romantic predicament: a penniless but upwardly mobile outlander, seeking an impossible match with a rich and prominent young woman.
—Rosemary Counter, Vanity Fair, 12 Feb. 2026
Immediately, the indelible comedy of the scene kicks in, as dancers and singers reenact the dream, which Golde takes as a sign that daughter Tzeitel should marry penniless but hardworking tailor Motel.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 4 Feb. 2026
Her husband Steven Gillis, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Shakespeare scholar, was left penniless.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for penniless
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Nicole Krauss, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Most every novel written by a Brontë contains some variation on their father’s eternal romantic predicament: a penniless but upwardly mobile outlander, seeking an impossible match with a rich and prominent young woman.
—Rosemary Counter, Vanity Fair, 12 Feb. 2026
Immediately, the indelible comedy of the scene kicks in, as dancers and singers reenact the dream, which Golde takes as a sign that daughter Tzeitel should marry penniless but hardworking tailor Motel.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 4 Feb. 2026
Her husband Steven Gillis, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Shakespeare scholar, was left penniless.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for penniless
Cite this Entry
“Penniless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/penniless. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
penniless
adjective
pen·ni·less
ˈpen-i-ləs 
ˈpen-ᵊl-əs
: having no money : very poor
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