1
as in poor
lacking money or material possessions
the widespread hope that the lottery's record-setting jackpot is won by an impoverished family
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in desolate
producing inferior or only a small amount of vegetation
an impoverished field that over the years had been overgrazed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in pauperized
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in depleted
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of impoverished
Evens Sanon, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026
The movie tells the story of Balram (Adrarsh Gourav), a successful entrepreneur whose career belies his impoverished beginnings.
—James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Apr. 2026
Haiti, the most impoverished country in the Western Hemisphere, has been hit the hardest by rising oil prices that experts warn will deepen a spiraling humanitarian crisis.
—ABC News, 11 Apr. 2026
The youngsters took the train south to the deep, impoverished heart of China.
—Michael Sheridan, Vanity Fair, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for impoverished
Adjective
Haiti, the most impoverished country in the Western Hemisphere, has been hit the hardest by rising oil prices that experts warn will deepen a spiraling humanitarian crisis.
—Evens Sanon, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026
The movie tells the story of Balram (Adrarsh Gourav), a successful entrepreneur whose career belies his impoverished beginnings.
—James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Apr. 2026
Haiti, the most impoverished country in the Western Hemisphere, has been hit the hardest by rising oil prices that experts warn will deepen a spiraling humanitarian crisis.
—ABC News, 11 Apr. 2026
The youngsters took the train south to the deep, impoverished heart of China.
—Michael Sheridan, Vanity Fair, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for impoverished
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impoverished
Adjective
-
Injuries to key players on the Amazin’s contributed to some poor numbers as well.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
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Although poor students are disproportionately likely to receive special education in New York City, well-off disabled kids are the ones most acutely driving up the budget.—
Marc Novicoff,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Introducing the setting with a majestic crane shot (particularly immersive in 3D), his camera soars above the cave and surveys the desolate landscape.—
Eric Kohn,
IndieWire,
24 Apr. 2026
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For myself, having a Wrangler is the perfect vehicle to just drive these desolate roads.—
Morgan Korn,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Groundwater levels have dropped, salt lagoons have shrunk, and freshwater aquifers are increasingly at risk of being depleted and contaminated.—
Abraham Nunbogu,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
First, the world’s backup supply of crude oil products is rapidly being depleted.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The Highway Trust Fund — the primary federal account dedicated to funding highways, bridges and transit — is going broke.—
Andrew Stasiowski,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
-
By the beginning of the second episode, Margo has dropped out of school and is the totally broke single mother to a colicky baby, Bodhi, who cries so committedly that two of Margo’s roommates move out.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The experience gave me a front-row seat to the coast’s dramatic beauty, and also a lesson in the abundance of the Arctic, a region often assumed to be barren.—
Karen Gardiner,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Apr. 2026
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This isn't to say every single post-starburst galaxy is totally barren.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In other words, atrocious starts have ruined the Sox’s season before anyone had a chance to get excited.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Was so excited to make these and they were ruined by your poor recipe like many others!—
Christopher Kostow,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Father Time lost again James was exhausted, his jersey pulled over his head after a fourth-quarter turnover.—
Dan Woike,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
When one physician is exhausted, others compensate.—
Jennifer Obel,
Twin Cities,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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At first glance, AI companions for lonely seniors can seem dystopian, looking less like innovation than a bleak sign of social failure.—
Catherine Thorbecke,
Twin Cities,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Things are impossibly bleak for the Rockets, which were without Kevin Durant for the second game this series.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Impoverished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impoverished. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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