poorer; poorest
1
: having little money or few possessions : not having enough money for the basic things that people need to live properly
We were too poor to buy new clothes.
The organization helps poor families/people.
a poor country/neighborhood
2
: having a very small amount of something
a poor crop
She has a poor vocabulary.
—often + inJunk food is poor in vitamins and nutrients.
3
: not good in quality or condition : bad
a poor effort
It was a poor attempt at a joke.
a poor performance
He is in poor condition/health.
She couldn't read the sign because her vision was too poor.
The joke was in poor taste. [=the joke was offensive or not polite]
He has a poor opinion of her. [=he does not think she is good; he does not like her]
4
: not skilled at something : not able to do something well
He was such a poor plumber that he couldn't fix a simple leak.
a poor golfer
She is a poor judge of character.
I am poor [=(more commonly) bad] at math.
5
always used before a noun
—used to refer to someone or something in a way that shows sympathy
The poor kitten hurt its paw.
Leave the poor guy alone.
You're all by yourself, you poor thing.
Poor John has been sick for days.
Cite this Entry
“Poor.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/poor. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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