as in poverty
the state of lacking sufficient money or material possessions
each country has its own standard of poorness, and one nation's needy inhabitant can be another's fairly well-off citizen
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poorness
Noun
-
Across the Americas – the most murderous region in the world – the average life expectancy of a trans woman is just 35 years old, according to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which attributes the frequency of early death to compounding violence, poverty and social exclusion.—
Ladan Anoushfar,
CNN Money,
6 Aug. 2025 -
Of course, Buckley was lying through his teeth: Almost half of all Black Americans were living in poverty.—
Andrea Long Chu,
Vulture,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
His legal team also filed a separate motion requesting a public defender be assigned to his case, citing indigence.—
Jessica Sager,
People.com,
8 Mar. 2025
-
His legal team also filed a separate motion requesting a public defender be assigned to his case, citing indigence.—
Jessica Sager,
People.com,
8 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
But the mass of the population remained trapped in rural penury or urban favelas, while the fortunate few soared over the country’s ungovernable megacities in private helicopters.—
Jonathan Tepperman,
Foreign Affairs,
14 Dec. 2015
-
The progressivism had its roots in a southern economy that depended on agriculture and, as a result, suffered an unusual degree of penury during the Depression.—
Taeku Lee,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Aug. 2013
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.
Cite this Entry
“Poorness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poorness. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share