impoverish

Synonym Chooser

How is the word impoverish distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of impoverish are bankrupt, deplete, drain, and exhaust. While all these words mean "to deprive of something essential to existence or potency," impoverish suggests a deprivation of something essential to richness or productiveness.

impoverished soil

When would bankrupt be a good substitute for impoverish?

In some situations, the words bankrupt and impoverish are roughly equivalent. However, bankrupt suggests impoverishment to the point of imminent collapse.

war had bankrupted the nation of resources

When might deplete be a better fit than impoverish?

The meanings of deplete and impoverish largely overlap; however, deplete implies a reduction in number or quantity so as to endanger the ability to function.

depleting our natural resources

When can drain be used instead of impoverish?

While in some cases nearly identical to impoverish, drain implies a gradual withdrawal and ultimate deprivation of what is necessary to an existence.

personal tragedy had drained him of all spirit

In what contexts can exhaust take the place of impoverish?

The words exhaust and impoverish are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, exhaust stresses a complete emptying.

her lecture exhausted the subject

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of impoverish The alternative — concentrating AI benefits among capital owners while leaving displaced workers impoverished—is economically counterproductive. Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025 But were you really impoverished by buying from Costco? Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025 Republicans have floated industry-destroying ideas like taxing college and university scholarships as income, which would instantaneously blow up thousands of budgets in higher education and impoverish millions of students. Dan Perry, Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2025 The universe may indeed be mysterious, but our response to this technological revolution will determine whether that mystery enriches or impoverishes the human experience. John Werner, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for impoverish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impoverish
Verb
  • Ironically, in Cuba, a country pauperized by a Marxist model for the past 61 years, there is a growing public cry demanding change.
    Otto Reich, National Review, 8 Apr. 2020
Verb
  • These agreements phased out the majority of ozone-depleting substances.
    Dianne Plummer, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
  • When rates begin to drop, buyers who were also waiting will begin to buy, depleting inventory and ultimately driving prices even higher due to demand.
    Jason Peters, Kansas City Star, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.
    Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Our family has been ruined by Denise's lies of promising to end a year-long affair.
    Stephanie Wenger, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Participants in the study who often consumed chilis also had a 34 percent lower chance of dying of cardiovascular disease.
    Thomas Westerholm, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
  • But his own research found that the countries with the lowest fracture rates are actually those that consume the least milk.
    Alana Semuels, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • See video … WATCH TOM HOMAN – With a secure border, the US is bankrupting cartels.
    , FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Multiple rocket explosions nearly bankrupted the company.
    Joel Shulman, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The Texans were up 28-21, and Keller had exhausted all of its timeouts.
    Jordan Neal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Lula was imprisoned in 2018, but he was released in November 2019 after the Supreme Court ruled that defendants can’t be jailed before exhausting appeal options.
    Chad de Guzman, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • His team accused Whatley of distorting the facts to cover for his support of federal policies that reduced funding for local police.
    Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Valentino has been streamlining its wholesale channel, reduced by about 20 percent in 2024, a strategy that continued in 2025 and that is expected to impact its year-end performance.
    Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Ford dropped it from the Explorer’s retail lineup, but continues to offer it in police vehicles, which benefit from its ability to power AC and other accessories without running the engine when parked, as patrol vehicles often spend lots of time doing.
    Mark Phelan, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
  • California’s legal fight to get those funds back–which hadn’t been spent–will take months if not years to resolve.
    Alan Ohnsman, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Impoverish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impoverish. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.

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