poor

adjective

\ ˈpu̇r

, ˈpȯr

Definition of poor

1a : lacking material possessions

b : of, relating to, or characterized by poverty

2a : less than adequate : meager

b : small in worth

3 : exciting pity you poor thing

4a : inferior in quality or value

b : humble, unpretentious

c : mean, petty

5 : lean, emaciated

6 : barren, unproductive —used of land

7 : indifferent, unfavorable

8 : lacking a normal or adequate supply of something specified —often used in combination oil-poor countries

Other Words from poor Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about poor

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of poor in a Sentence

We were too poor to buy new clothes. The organization helps poor families. She has a poor vocabulary. It was a poor attempt at a joke. He is in poor condition. She couldn't read the sign because her vision was too poor.

Recent Examples on the Web

In 2012, 150 employees threatened to commit suicide over the company's poor conditions. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Wisconsin Foxconn Manufacturing Plant May Not Happen After All," 30 Jan. 2019 By mid-year, Samsung was blaming its poor financial performance on weak sales of the S9, and the company had to aggressively slash prices in an effort to move units. — Dan Seifert, The Verge, "The Verge 2018 tech report card: Samsung," 26 Dec. 2018 Realistically, the Mariners eliminated themselves with their poor play out of the All-Star break. — Ryan Divish, The Seattle Times, "Mariners officially eliminate themselves from AL West title," 18 Sep. 2018 No, not the Bill-Gates-is-poor-compared-to-me super jackpot—just your regular multimillion-dollar kind of thing. — Ezra Dyer, Popular Mechanics, "The McLaren 570S Spider Is Your Just-Won-the-Lottery Car," 12 Dec. 2018 When Churchill’s poor, wayward cousin Abigail Masham, portrayed by Emma Stone, enters the picture and begins working as a scullery maid in the queen’s palace, things start getting really interesting. — Brooke Bobb, Vogue, "Though They Look Regal, Sandy Powell’s Costumes for The Favourite Are Grounded in Reality," 20 Nov. 2018 Gaitonde narrates his life from his childhood as the son of a poor monk to mob boss of Mumbai’s Gopalmath district. — Josephine Livingstone, The New Republic, "Sacred Games Reinvents the Police Procedural," 12 July 2018 Outlook: Melvern Lake Marina reports: crappie - poor to fair with anglers finding a few keepers in and around established brush piles and in Turkey Creek west of the State Park. — Tyler Mahoney Special To The Star, kansascity, "Fishing report: Catfish action picking up in Kansas, Missouri lakes," 11 July 2018 India’s financial capital struggles to cope with the monsoon deluge every year, drawing criticism of its poor planning. — Washington Post, "Mudslide kills 9 in India’s remote mountainous northeast," 11 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'poor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.