as in impoverished
lacking money or material possessions
went from being a penniless girl to owner of her own restaurant
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Recent Examples of penniless
Twenty-four masterpieces, many rarely lent, were gathered from museums all over the world and brought together in the city where Caravaggio, born Michelangelo Merisi, arrived penniless in 1592.
—
Nicole Krauss, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Immediately, the indelible comedy of the scene kicks in, as dancers and singers reenact the dream, which Golde takes as a sign that daughter Tzeitel should marry penniless but hardworking tailor Motel.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 4 Feb. 2026
Her husband Steven Gillis, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Shakespeare scholar, was left penniless.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Jan. 2026
Season 5 also introduces colorful newcomers, like Minnie Driver, who plays a a penniless princess turned hustler who unexpectedly becomes Agence Grateau’s white knight.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for penniless
Nicole Krauss, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Immediately, the indelible comedy of the scene kicks in, as dancers and singers reenact the dream, which Golde takes as a sign that daughter Tzeitel should marry penniless but hardworking tailor Motel.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 4 Feb. 2026
Her husband Steven Gillis, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Shakespeare scholar, was left penniless.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Jan. 2026
Season 5 also introduces colorful newcomers, like Minnie Driver, who plays a a penniless princess turned hustler who unexpectedly becomes Agence Grateau’s white knight.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for penniless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penniless
Adjective
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Cities like Chicago — long a haven for Mexican immigrants with ties to families and a community — became landing spots for migrants from increasingly impoverished and authoritarian places such as Venezuela.—
Joe Mahr,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
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And because of their status, undocumented students are also more likely to come from impoverished backgrounds, says Caitlin Patler, a professor of public policy at UC Berkeley.—
Jonaki Mehta,
NPR,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Serious Medical and Emotional Neglect Turner said Kaiko arrived in poor health, suffering from multiple medical issues and signs of prolonged neglect.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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The city of Plano scores restaurants on a 100-point system, with 100 considered a perfect score and 70 extremely poor.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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In less than seven years, the Social Security retirement trust fund will go broke, and under federal law, its insolvency will automatically trigger gigantic reductions in benefits.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
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The go-for-broke concept, which includes a high-tech heist, a high-speed truck chase and a massive explosion of Cheetos dust, shows the levels to which marketers must ascend to capture consumer attention in media venues that constantly offer new stimuli.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Penniless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penniless. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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