Synonyms
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
Thousands have been returned to Mexican custody after failure to express credible fear, and shipped hundreds of miles away from the border, where most are stuck penniless in unfamiliar Mexican cities, left to contemplate their next moves.
—
Lillian Perlmutter, The New Republic, 13 Sep. 2023
For those who have made it to the U.S., some are exhausted and penniless.
—CBS News, 14 May 2023
The big chunks of the easy-to-find gold that had been lolling around in rivers for millenniums were gone after the first years of the Gold Rush, and Marshall himself died penniless.
—Thomas Fuller Jim Wilson, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2023
Her parents’ boarding house reflects the poverty of being left penniless due to the country’s occupation while retaining a warm, inviting atmosphere.
—Variety Staff, Variety, 17 Feb. 2023
An apparently penniless street boy in a torn jacket carries a big woven-wicker basket on his back, casting a side-glance in hopes of scoring some work as a porter.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2023
The film tells the story of Madeleine, a pretty, young and penniless actress, who is accused of murdering a famous producer.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 13 Jan. 2023
Mizner died just six years later, in 1933, penniless.
—Klara Glowczewska, Town & Country, 25 July 2023
The exhibit features 40 costumes from the 2012 production of Henrik Ibsen’s Peer Gynt, a a satirical five-act play about a penniless underachiever with a bad attitude who leaves his home in Norway to travel the world after kidnapping a bride.
—Adrienne Gaffney, ELLE, 10 July 2023
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Lillian Perlmutter, The New Republic, 13 Sep. 2023
For those who have made it to the U.S., some are exhausted and penniless.
—CBS News, 14 May 2023
The big chunks of the easy-to-find gold that had been lolling around in rivers for millenniums were gone after the first years of the Gold Rush, and Marshall himself died penniless.
—Thomas Fuller Jim Wilson, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2023
Her parents’ boarding house reflects the poverty of being left penniless due to the country’s occupation while retaining a warm, inviting atmosphere.
—Variety Staff, Variety, 17 Feb. 2023
An apparently penniless street boy in a torn jacket carries a big woven-wicker basket on his back, casting a side-glance in hopes of scoring some work as a porter.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2023
The film tells the story of Madeleine, a pretty, young and penniless actress, who is accused of murdering a famous producer.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 13 Jan. 2023
Mizner died just six years later, in 1933, penniless.
—Klara Glowczewska, Town & Country, 25 July 2023
The exhibit features 40 costumes from the 2012 production of Henrik Ibsen’s Peer Gynt, a a satirical five-act play about a penniless underachiever with a bad attitude who leaves his home in Norway to travel the world after kidnapping a bride.
—Adrienne Gaffney, ELLE, 10 July 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'penniless.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of penniless was
in the 14th century
Articles Related to penniless
Dictionary Entries Near penniless
Cite this Entry
“Penniless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/penniless. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
penniless
adjective
pen·ni·less
ˈpen-i-ləs 
ˈpen-ᵊl-əs
: having no money : very poor
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