1
as in impoverished
lacking money or material possessions
many families were left destitute by the horrible fire
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in devoid
utterly lacking in something needed, wanted, or expected
a lingering drought and a sky destitute of rain clouds
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of destitute
Franklin Roosevelt initiated the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Work Progress Administration as part of the New Deal, putting destitute Americans to work by building roads, dams, bridges, libraries, schools — and parks.
—
Martha Ross, Mercury News, 22 Nov. 2025
Many samurai remain, but sword-carrying is outlawed, leaving many of them jobless and destitute.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 13 Nov. 2025
To make matters worse, the equally destitute viewing public is rewarded for ratting out the runners (or killing the contestants themselves), which pits neighbor against neighbor in a way that keeps the underclass at war with itself.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 11 Nov. 2025
Other than their great number, these Irish immigrants were different from previous new arrivals because many of them were absolutely destitute and many came from rural areas.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for destitute
Martha Ross, Mercury News, 22 Nov. 2025
Many samurai remain, but sword-carrying is outlawed, leaving many of them jobless and destitute.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 13 Nov. 2025
To make matters worse, the equally destitute viewing public is rewarded for ratting out the runners (or killing the contestants themselves), which pits neighbor against neighbor in a way that keeps the underclass at war with itself.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 11 Nov. 2025
Other than their great number, these Irish immigrants were different from previous new arrivals because many of them were absolutely destitute and many came from rural areas.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for destitute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for destitute
Adjective
-
Salt was another luxury for the impoverished migrants.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Cinema-going culture has struggled to take hold in much of South Africa, particularly in townships and other impoverished communities, prompting the organizers to focus on building that culture in the next generation of South African moviegoers and filmmakers.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Banking has become functionally correct but emotionally devoid, with the industry swimming in a sea of sameness.—
Michael Abbott,
Forbes,
19 Mar. 2025
-
That devoid ingredient hindered things exponentially.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Feb. 2024
Adjective
-
Through its clear imagery, operators can navigate safely and assess fire scenes even with poor visibility.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Mar. 2026
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An injection like this has a clear advantage over daily prevention pills in poorer countries, where patients – particularly young women – might struggle to access clinics or feel stigmatised for seeking treatment.—
Harriet Marsden,
TheWeek,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
New legislation was intended to limit this, but in 1998, the Fed stepped in when a hedge fund, Long Term Capital Management, went broke.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
1 Mar. 2026
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Kaiser Permanente’s planned, 310-bed hospital and Sacramento Republic FC’s 12,000-seat stadium broke ground in the Railyards.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Destitute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destitute. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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