1
as in impoverished
lacking money or material possessions
every year, we make up a basket of food at Thanksgiving for a poor family in the neighborhood
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in desolate
producing inferior or only a small amount of vegetation
land that is too poor for farming
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in scarce
less plentiful than what is normal, necessary, or desirable
a poor crop because of the drought this year
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
a pretty poor musician, even for a garage band
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in terrible
of low quality
the poor workmanship of the goods from that store
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in pitiful
deserving of one's pity
aw, the poor kitten hurt its paw
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Try This Instead
Try This InsteadFor
Try This
poor quality
a poor judgment
an unwise judgment
a lousy judgment
a questionable judgment
a horrible judgment
an improper judgment
a poor performance
a weak performance
an unacceptable performance
a negative performance
an inadequate performance
a horrendous performance
a poor condition
a deteriorated condition
a shabby condition
a sub-par condition
a shoddy condition
a pitiful condition
poor nutrition
unbalanced nutrition
improper nutrition
deficient nutrition
unhealthy nutrition
insufficient nutrition
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of poor
In Miami’s poorer communities, such as Allapattah and Liberty City, a helicopter inspection suggested extensive roof damage to homes, businesses and churches.
—
Miami Herald, 11 July 2025
The day before the Apollo 11 moon launch on 16 July 1969, Ralph Abernathy, Martin Luther King’s successor as head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, led a march of poor Black families, complete with wagons drawn by mules, to the fence of Cape Kennedy in Florida.
—Ekow Eshun
july 11, Literary Hub, 11 July 2025
For certain situations, particularly if someone is in poor health, experts generally say claiming early makes sense.
—Lorie Konish, CNBC, 11 July 2025
But August is perhaps a poor month in which to rally the staff.
—John Updike, New Yorker, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for poor
Miami Herald, 11 July 2025
The day before the Apollo 11 moon launch on 16 July 1969, Ralph Abernathy, Martin Luther King’s successor as head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, led a march of poor Black families, complete with wagons drawn by mules, to the fence of Cape Kennedy in Florida.
—Ekow Eshun
july 11, Literary Hub, 11 July 2025
For certain situations, particularly if someone is in poor health, experts generally say claiming early makes sense.
—Lorie Konish, CNBC, 11 July 2025
But August is perhaps a poor month in which to rally the staff.
—John Updike, New Yorker, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for poor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poor
Adjective
-
Will parts of Norway look like Nauru, a formerly lush tropical paradise stripped of its phosphate rock, and now a barren, impoverished cautionary tale?—
Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
-
Likewise, food stamps are still going to be provided to the disabled, families with young children, and the impoverished elderly, even if Democrats want to pretend otherwise.—
Frank Miele,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 July 2025
Adjective
-
Griffith also describes in vivid detail the desolate Hopi landscape and the villages atop the three mesas.—
Sandra Dallas,
Denver Post,
13 July 2025
-
Despite its desolate appearance, Bouvet is surprisingly rich in bird life.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
Adjective
-
Longevity Delivers More Than Health These stories prove what’s possible, even when resources are scarce.—
Sylvana Quader Sinha,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
-
But for most people real human attention is scarce.—
Paul Bloom,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
Adjective
-
The use of unilateral sanctions against Special Rapporteurs or any other UN expert or official is unacceptable.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 July 2025
-
Students, both the ones who behave and the ones who misbehave, need to know that there are real consequences for unacceptable behavior.—
Carrie Lukas,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
Adjective
-
There will be four questions related to easing the city’s terrible housing shortage, all useful and needed, and one useless question about moving our local elections from odd years, like this present year, to presidential contest years.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
21 July 2025
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But when terrible news arrives about her ex, all eyes turn to Ana — whose reputation isn't exactly sterling.—
Lizz Schumer,
People.com,
21 July 2025
Adjective
-
My pansies are pitiful, the lavender is languishing and the salvia is suffering.—
Barbara Ellis,
Denver Post,
7 July 2025
-
Something about this one note prompted even this pitiful creature to a risky gesture of mercy.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
14 May 2025
Adjective
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None of that foursome broke camp on Toronto’s Opening Day roster.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
7 July 2025
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Meanwhile, lawmakers learned Wednesday that Social Security and Medicare are expected to go broke earlier than last projected because of rising costs, according to the funds’ trustees.—
Kristina Karisch,
The Hill,
19 June 2025
Adjective
-
The jetliner heading to Nairobi lost control shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport and nose-dived into a barren patch of land.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
13 July 2025
-
However, planting vegetation under solar panels—as opposed to the more traditional method of siting solar arrays on somewhat barren land—can help cool them.—
Robert Pearlman,
ArsTechnica,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Poor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poor. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.
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