1
as in impoverished
lacking money or material possessions
every year, we make up a basket of food at Thanksgiving for a poor family in the neighborhood
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in desolate
producing inferior or only a small amount of vegetation
land that is too poor for farming
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in scarce
less plentiful than what is normal, necessary, or desirable
a poor crop because of the drought this year
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
a pretty poor musician, even for a garage band
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in terrible
of low quality
the poor workmanship of the goods from that store
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in pitiful
deserving of one's pity
aw, the poor kitten hurt its paw
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of poor
Not to mention, a weak back can foster poor posture and the neck, shoulder, and back issues that come along with it.
—
Erica Sloan, SELF, 11 Sep. 2025
One of the Democrats’ biggest problems right now is their refusal to take accountability for their poor performance.
—Nicole Russell, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
Young people see the issues society faces close up — whether that’s poor mental health or the consequences of inequalities.
—Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
However, older people are more likely to perceive poor sleep as a normal part of aging, Carvalho added.
—Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poor
Erica Sloan, SELF, 11 Sep. 2025
One of the Democrats’ biggest problems right now is their refusal to take accountability for their poor performance.
—Nicole Russell, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
Young people see the issues society faces close up — whether that’s poor mental health or the consequences of inequalities.
—Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
However, older people are more likely to perceive poor sleep as a normal part of aging, Carvalho added.
—Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poor
Adjective
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Shooting scenes in wide or medium shots that sometimes break into Hsiao-Lee’s harrowing point-of-view, cinematographer Yu Jing-Pin depicts a world without much color or hope, while sets by Huang Mei-Ching and Tu Shuo-Feng emphasize a sad and impoverished existence.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Sep. 2025
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Each serves a high rate of students from impoverished households, and families within the schools' boundaries can choose to attend those schools or receive a bus to a second school option based on their address.—
Krista Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Silksong is steeped in religious imagery — desolate chapels, ringing church bells, even rosary beads that act as in-game currency.—
Keller Gordon,
NPR,
8 Sep. 2025
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Her haunting soprano ranged from desolate whispers to expansive belts.—
Audrey Gibbs,
Nashville Tennessean,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Treat storage as a scarce public good.—
Phil De Luna,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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Water is scarce, rationed to just three hours a day in some districts, and packs of stray dogs roam the city.—
Yegor Mostovshikov,
The Dial,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Unwavering loyalty Schrandt told ABC News that any deportations to Afghanistan are an unacceptable outcome.—
Chris Boccia,
ABC News,
5 Sep. 2025
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Cosmetics are not the only place that regulators assessed an unacceptable level of risk.—
Keyaira Boone,
Essence,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Overall, this wasn’t a terrible episode, but having our heroes start in the UK and then end up in Spain in the first episode felt rushed and wasteful.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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Both men are good, both men are bad and both men have made terrible mistakes.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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As del Toro sees it, Frankenstein’s pitiful creation has been cursed with life, cannot be killed (even bullets don’t stop him) and must face the same existential crisis that confronts us all.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
30 Aug. 2025
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Over 1,000 murdered whilst queuing for aid, starved due to their siege, whilst pitiful amounts of aid delivered by a sham agency controlled by Israel.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Reunion shows often have a vital, go-for-broke spirit, and this movie does too, in the sweetest possible way.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
11 Sep. 2025
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So to invest in a broke company is beyond me.—
Joe Vardon,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The local Rite Aid was getting ready to shut down, with barren shelves and 75% off all items, while commerce elsewhere in the town of less than 3,000 people wasn’t exactly bustling.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
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While flying a shuttlecraft, she gets sucked into a wormhole and crashes onto a barren moon.—
Adam B. Vary,
Variety,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Poor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poor. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
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