poor

adjective

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\ 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

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 While the formatting for ebooks is generally good, some magazine formatting is poor. — Simon Hill, Wired, 22 Jan. 2022 Single mothers are much more likely to be poor than married couples. — Patricia Fersch, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2022 Even with five players scoring in double figures, the Lakers lost a game because their defense was poor in the fourth quarter. — Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2022 The CEOs added that those restrictions wouldn't be limited to times when visibility is poor. — David Koenig, ajc, 19 Jan. 2022 Data from altimeters is used to help pilots land when visibility is poor. — David Koenig, USA TODAY, 16 Jan. 2022 The legislation would also remove areas that were originally designated as opportunity zones that weren’t actually poor, including well-off areas of Detroit and Baltimore that ProPublica reported on that year. — Jeff Ernsthausen, ProPublica, 13 Jan. 2022 But those decisions to go for late 2-point conversions in losses against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers were poor, as were some of Harbaugh’s clock-management issues. — Mike Preston, baltimoresun.com, 12 Jan. 2022 Nico, however, plays at being poor, refusing to ask his wealthy family for money. — Oline H. Cogdill, sun-sentinel.com, 11 Jan. 2022

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.