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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6
as in pitiful
deserving of one's pity
aw, the poor kitten hurt its paw
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of poor
During the Obama and Biden administrations, the US used its bully pulpit to drag more recalcitrant countries like China and the Gulf petrostates to the table and sign them on to promises to cut carbon and shell out cash to help poorer countries.
—
Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 6 Nov. 2025
Was Ciattarelli just a poor candidate?
—Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 6 Nov. 2025
The team's poor results both this season and in 2024 haven't helped matters.
—Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
Not Repotting Over time, potting soil becomes depleted in nutrients or gets too dense to drain properly, leading to poor or no flowering in Christmas cacti.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poor
Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 6 Nov. 2025
Was Ciattarelli just a poor candidate?
—Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 6 Nov. 2025
The team's poor results both this season and in 2024 haven't helped matters.
—Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
Not Repotting Over time, potting soil becomes depleted in nutrients or gets too dense to drain properly, leading to poor or no flowering in Christmas cacti.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poor
Adjective
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The film, which world premiered in the Berlinale’s Perspectives sidebar, follows an impoverished but determined family put to test when the father, who is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, is accused of murder.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
23 Oct. 2025
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Sanctions have crippled the government’s primary source of revenue, oil exports, limiting the state’s ability to provide for millions of impoverished Iranians through social safety nets.—
Leila Gharagozlou,
CNN Money,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Bir Tawil, for instance — a desolate parcel of desert on the Egyptian-Sudanese border.—
Richard Collett,
CNN Money,
29 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
Adjective
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As housing remains scarce, pricey, and out of reach, the share of first-time home buyers has hit an all-time low.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
4 Nov. 2025
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Cost of living is raging, high-paying job opportunities are scarce, and layoffs are on the rise.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Denying people the essentials necessary for their survival, to obtain compliance or a political agreement, should be unacceptable.—
Anna Halford,
Time,
25 Oct. 2025
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Controversy arose earlier this year after residents, a council member and the mayor declared a cooling station set up for homeless residents and others without adequate heating and cooling as unacceptable.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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There have always been fascist forces, there have always been people who are just terrible in the American government, but at the same time, there are always people who have resisted, and there are always people who have still found ways to create joy, to create life, to create art, despite these.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
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Marchand’s terrible week ended with joy.—
Adam H. Beasley,
Miami Herald,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Yet Plemons imbues him with despair, finding a pitiful fragility in his aggression.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
31 Oct. 2025
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Jerry Jeudy has struggled, and the depth behind Jeudy has been pitiful.—
Matthew Schmidt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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If only every actor could find the chance to to exercise such go-for-broke freedom.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
6 Nov. 2025
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Continue reading … NOT SO 'POPULAR' – Former 'Wicked' star reveals backlash over Charlie Kirk comments 'nearly broke' her.—
,
FOXNews.com,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Whatever your candy preference, no one wants to spend the evening strolling barren streets hoping to find some goodies.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
27 Oct. 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Poor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poor. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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