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
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of impoverished
Reuters, NBC news, 15 Oct. 2025
The caravan, which departed earlier this month, is expected to take weeks to reach its destination, where migrants hope to find higher-paying jobs in Mexico’s capital city, rather than its impoverished south.
—Caitlin McFall, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025
But the Shah’s failure to provide support to the peasants led to their farms failing, and sent waves of impoverished migrants to Tehran and other Iranian cities—many of whom would later fuel the 1979 revolution.
—Nik Kowsar, Time, 2 Oct. 2025
Her existence in the vibrant capital city of Sepphoris brings into questions some of our traditional assumptions of Mary as an impoverished illiterate from a backwater rural village with no exposure to Greco-Roman culture.
—Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impoverished
Verb
Pakistan is the main source of goods and food supplies for landlocked, impoverished Afghanistan.
—Reuters, NBC news, 15 Oct. 2025
The caravan, which departed earlier this month, is expected to take weeks to reach its destination, where migrants hope to find higher-paying jobs in Mexico’s capital city, rather than its impoverished south.
—Caitlin McFall, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025
But the Shah’s failure to provide support to the peasants led to their farms failing, and sent waves of impoverished migrants to Tehran and other Iranian cities—many of whom would later fuel the 1979 revolution.
—Nik Kowsar, Time, 2 Oct. 2025
Her existence in the vibrant capital city of Sepphoris brings into questions some of our traditional assumptions of Mary as an impoverished illiterate from a backwater rural village with no exposure to Greco-Roman culture.
—Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impoverished
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impoverished
Adjective
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There’s another element of the current concern regarding due process that relates to the fate of poor Cinna.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
23 Oct. 2025
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McDaniel’s debut album Lost Ones delves into his own story of growing up in a poor community in Kentucky, and dealing with mental health struggles, both personally and within his family — as well as McDaniel’s story of being saved during a past suicide attempt years ago.—
Jessica Nicholson,
Billboard,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Clowns, aliens and the mysteries of Denver Airport Nevada’s Extraterrestrial Highway – yes, it’s officially called that – runs through one of the most remote and desolate stretches of the United States.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
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To find the killer, Sherlock Holmes and Watson will have to brave desolate moors before a family curse dooms the newest heirs.—
Meredith G. White,
AZCentral.com,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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With the Lakers’ roster being short-handed and depleted in their last two games, a road win over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday and a home loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday, there’s been a natural search for silver linings.—
Khobi Price,
Oc Register,
28 Oct. 2025
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The plug-in hybrid now offers an electric-only range of about 80 miles, while overall efficiency improves to the equivalent of 84 miles per gallon once the battery is depleted.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Margaret Qualley, as the former A-lister's younger self, also goes for broke in a film that's a disturbing, hilarious and jaw-dropping hoot.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
21 Oct. 2025
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Businesses go broke, financial institutions fail and economic activity shrivels.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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An arid, barren landscape with extreme temperature swings from 45 to -40 degrees Celsius (113 to -40 degrees Fahrenheit).—
Rosanna Philpott,
CNN Money,
24 Oct. 2025
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There's a naivety and sweetness to them that's ripped away in an instant when the two passionately make love in the barren house, the inciting incident for the demise of their relationship.—
Billie Melissa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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No, baseball was not yet ruined.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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There is even Depardieu’s own late son, Guillaume, whose death at age thirty-seven was hastened along by heroin use that had ruined his health, and over whom Ferrara recalls Depardieu shedding copious tears during one of their early meetings.—
Nick Pinkerton,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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After over 100 tips, authorities cleared Wagner of any wrongdoing in 2022, saying all leads had been exhausted, but the case remains open.—
Skyler Trepel,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
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Advertisement Oppenheim exhausted his list of national security resources to figure out a more precise answer to this question, but came away with a split vote about the president’s response.—
Jake Kring-Schreifels,
Time,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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These are bleak times, and as fans continue to mourn the club’s decline, West Ham’s hierarchy have shifted their focus to the January transfer window.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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As with many of Burton's best films, the real magic is the nuggets of human profundity hidden within the bleak imagery and whimsical comedy.—
Chris Snellgrove,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Impoverished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impoverished. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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