Definition of poor
1a : lacking material possessionsb : of, relating to, or characterized by poverty
2a : less than adequate : meagerb : small in worth
3 : exciting pity you poor thing
4a : inferior in quality or valueb : humble, unpretentiousc : mean, petty
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
poorness
nounIndulge Your Inner Word Nerd
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 of poor from the Web
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The Philippines has had its share of conflict, particularly in Mindanao, a poor and restive southern island that is home to most Filipino Muslims.
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Through the First Light women's shelter, the Elizabeth Perry Rushton Child Development Center and hospice care for the elderly, First Presbyterian reached out to young and old, poor and needy.
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That poor girl at Lourdes, those children at Fatima…
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And the more stressful experiences people in the study had, the poorer their cognitive functioning was later in life.
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The realtor, oh the poor realtor, lists in detail all the features of the home avoiding the obvious like some sort of realtor ninja.
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A rush of young professionals and affluent transplants had pushed poor renters further and further toward the edges.
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Four stars from NHTSA and a Poor result from IIHS for the small-overlap test aren’t good places for the Grand Caravan to start.
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A quarter of a mile away, in the neighboring Korogocho slum that shelters 150,000 of Nairobi’s poorest people, Akoko encountered a middle-aged woman laboring over a large, uncovered pot of simmering chicken intestines.
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.
POOR Defined for English Language Learners
poor
playDefinition of poor for English Language Learners
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: having little money or few possessions : not having enough money for the basic things that people need to live properly
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: having a very small amount of something
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: not good in quality or condition
POOR Defined for Kids
poor
playDefinition of poor for Students
poorer
;poorest
1 : having little money or few possessions
2 : less than enough a poor crop
3 : worthy of pity The poor dog was lost.
4 : low in quality or condition poor health a poor effort
poorly
adverbLearn More about poor
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for poor Spanish Central: Translation of poor Nglish: Translation of poor for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of poor for Arabic speakers
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