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
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2
as in desolate
producing inferior or only a small amount of vegetation
land that is too poor for farming
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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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4
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
a pretty poor musician, even for a garage band
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of poor
Narrated by Colm Feore and James Hyndman in the English and French versions of the movie, respectively, the 17-minute stop-motion short follows a poor young boy who discovers a girl whose tears, evoked by a sad home life, turn into pristine pearls.
—
Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 9 Jan. 2026
Late last year, the leader of Tesla and the world’s richest person, Elon Musk, secured a $1 trillion pay package at his EV company, spurring criticism of the growing wealth divide between the world’s wealthiest and poorest workers.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2026
Tua Tagovailoa, who was benched for the final three games of the season because of poor play, still has a lot of money left on his contract.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 9 Jan. 2026
Amazon , as all will know, has been a poor relative performer to the S & P 500 Index for several years.
—Carter Braxton Worth, CNBC, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for poor
Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 9 Jan. 2026
Late last year, the leader of Tesla and the world’s richest person, Elon Musk, secured a $1 trillion pay package at his EV company, spurring criticism of the growing wealth divide between the world’s wealthiest and poorest workers.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2026
Tua Tagovailoa, who was benched for the final three games of the season because of poor play, still has a lot of money left on his contract.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 9 Jan. 2026
Amazon , as all will know, has been a poor relative performer to the S & P 500 Index for several years.
—Carter Braxton Worth, CNBC, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for poor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poor
Adjective
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The United States must step away from war and send food to Venezuela’s impoverished people.—
William Lambers,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Jan. 2026
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Leaning into the superstition that someone with albinism can bring wealth to those in need, Panay’s story follows a young boy with albinism (Boubacar Dembèlè), whose voice is believed to hold special powers that can protect impoverished miners risking their lives for gold.—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
10 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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After the twinkling lights of the holiday season have been packed away, winter can feel downright dull and desolate, especially for families with energetic kids trapped inside by the cold.—
Erica Jackson Curran,
Parents,
11 Jan. 2026
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Man on Fire tells the story of John Creasy, a high-functioning and skilled Special Forces Mercenary, known for surviving even the most desolate of situations.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The capacity for attention on books is so scarce, more so every year.—
Fiction Non Fiction,
Literary Hub,
8 Jan. 2026
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And the buildout is putting stress on local water resources that communities worry will cause shortages, with 160 new facilities located in areas with scarce supply, according to Bloomberg.—
Rachyl Jones,
semafor.com,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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To make large profits from parking fees to make up for his terrible management of tax dollars and his expensive real estate errors should be unacceptable.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Jan. 2026
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In just 24 hours, the president unveiled three massive state interventions into different markets that might’ve once looked—and sounded—like unacceptable levels of socialist dirigisme for a Republican to champion.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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How Other Parents Reacted to Murphy’s Post The reaction to Murphy’s revelations about his parenting style were mixed, with some commenters offering sympathy, while others more or less accused him of being a terrible father.—
Alex Shoemaker,
Parents,
12 Jan. 2026
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And the main thing that Yasmin has in common with her husband—the hapless aristocrat Henry Muck, played by Kit Harington—is their terrible fathers.—
Louis Staples,
Glamour,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Mercy came via a bye week, the pitiful Raiders and an inept Cowboys defense.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Jan. 2026
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Writer-director Craig Brewer resists the temptation to make Mike and Claire in any way pitiful or worthy of derision.—
Peter Tonguette,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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All of that stuff is very much in play in what’s recognizably on-brand Steppenwolf acting, typified by go-for-broke intensity, naked in more ways than one, from Coon and Smallwood, especially.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
9 Jan. 2026
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Dennis Hamlin took out multiple mortgages, maxed out several credit cards and nearly went broke, the Associated Press reported, all in pursuit of the dream to get his son into NASCAR.—
Briah Lumpkins,
Charlotte Observer,
31 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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In the 19th century, guano miners razed the place, removing most of the topsoil and leaving behind barren rock.—
Susan Casey,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Jan. 2026
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The next two teams on this list find themselves in eerily similar situations, from barren rosters to enviable cap space to hope at the quarterback position.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
10 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Poor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poor. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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