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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
a pretty poor musician, even for a garage band
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in terrible
of low quality
the poor workmanship of the goods from that store
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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 poor
Meanwhile, poor Sol is blithely ignoring Jen’s warning that Sincere seemed to switch up on Melanie awfully quick and that Sincere and Melanie are very in sync.
—
Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 16 June 2026
There are a lot of poor older Americans and they should be helped more than they're being helped.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 16 June 2026
A little less than half of colleges and universities are doing a fair or poor job of exposing students to a wide range of opinions and viewpoints, according to an October 2025 Pew Research Center survey.
—Kate Perez, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2026
Regardless of age, a poor response to ovarian stimulation—for example, a low estrogen level or a low number of follicles developing—indicates that the treatment is not going well, Klipstein says.
—Heather Grossmann, Parents, 16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for poor
Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 16 June 2026
There are a lot of poor older Americans and they should be helped more than they're being helped.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 16 June 2026
A little less than half of colleges and universities are doing a fair or poor job of exposing students to a wide range of opinions and viewpoints, according to an October 2025 Pew Research Center survey.
—Kate Perez, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2026
Regardless of age, a poor response to ovarian stimulation—for example, a low estrogen level or a low number of follicles developing—indicates that the treatment is not going well, Klipstein says.
—Heather Grossmann, Parents, 16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for poor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poor
Adjective
-
Among the Cambodians to exploit the instability was Toek Tik, a once-impoverished former Khmer Rouge foot soldier whose confessions helped investigators substantiate some of their claims against Latchford.—
Oscar Holland,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
-
And the people who got trapped behind—and who are now the impoverished mass of the remaining Cuban population—are the descendants of the slave population, or those who intermarried with the slave population.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
Wilderness Little Kulala is about a 45-minute drive outside the park, located in a seemingly desolate rocky plain with harsh, jagged mountains interspersed throughout the flatlands.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
19 June 2026
-
Most of the women disappeared between 2000 and 2010, and most of their remains were found on a desolate parkway not far from Long Island’s Gilgo Beach, some 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Manhattan.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
Economics teaches us that what is scarce becomes more valuable.—
William Arruda,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
-
Paz said that the state of emergency is intended to guarantee fuel supplies, which have become increasingly scarce as roadblocks have left tanker trucks stranded.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 June 2026
Adjective
-
Warsh called that unacceptable and kept saying so.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
17 June 2026
-
This proposal is utterly unacceptable.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
This is Conolly’s Folly, built in 1740 at the height of a terrible famine.—
Amelia Soth,
JSTOR Daily,
18 June 2026
-
The heroes who save us from these awful, terrible music haters do so with force.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
Trump has made a pitiful shambles of what should have been a glorious moment.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
31 May 2026
-
With his country flailing in their pitiful attempts to qualify for the 2006 World Cup, at the age of 33, Zidane underwent his change of heart.—
Amy Lawrence,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
Three years into his term, America wasn't broke, but the stock market did experience some of its biggest single-day losses during the coronavirus pandemic.—
Dan Snierson,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 June 2026
-
This week, Knicks fans had a big win after a big loss; fans of inflation were delighted and World Cup fans went broke.—
Holly J. Morris,
NPR,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
The missile flew northeast and then banked and began flying in loops for hours over the barren, frozen landscape.—
Geoff Brumfiel,
NPR,
18 June 2026
-
Some would eventually be moved to a cruise ship rented by the government, while others were stationed at nondescript military outposts that sprung up in the barren hills around the edges of Nuuk.—
Joshua Hunt,
Vanity Fair,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Poor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poor. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
