1
as in misery
the state of lacking sufficient money or material possessions
he dreamed of finding a good job and working his way out of poverty and debt
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shortage
a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number
a poverty of information about the new policies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of poverty
The model saw Vietnam becoming a manufacturing hub, lifted millions out of poverty and fueled a growing middle class.
—
Aniruddha Ghosal, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2026
As a result, funding often stops short of the household level, leaving people living in poverty without affordable ways to pay for water and sanitation at home.
—Kara Hurst, Time, 23 Jan. 2026
Those children are often eligible for Medicaid services even if their family’s income is higher than Medicaid federal poverty guidelines.
—Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 23 Jan. 2026
The federal government uses the 2025 poverty guidelines to determine income eligibility for 2026.
—Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for poverty
Aniruddha Ghosal, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2026
As a result, funding often stops short of the household level, leaving people living in poverty without affordable ways to pay for water and sanitation at home.
—Kara Hurst, Time, 23 Jan. 2026
Those children are often eligible for Medicaid services even if their family’s income is higher than Medicaid federal poverty guidelines.
—Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 23 Jan. 2026
The federal government uses the 2025 poverty guidelines to determine income eligibility for 2026.
—Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for poverty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poverty
Noun
-
This week’s massive winter storm dumped more than a foot of snow on at least 19 states, including those like Texas and Tennessee that are less prepared to deal with the miseries of winter weather.—
Amy Feldman,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
-
But apartheid brought immense unhappiness and misery to white South Africans, too.—
Eve Fairbanks,
The Dial,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Wagner said the shortages of equipment and staff will have a lasting impact on rebuilding in his community.—
Jeff Nguyen,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Sale speculation has surrounded Puma since last September, and there’s been no shortage on who could be buyers for the German sportswear brand.—
Vicki M. Young,
Footwear News,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In the last century, scientists have found bountiful evidence of complexity and engineering in living systems that seems highly unlikely to have emerged from a world of evolved necessity.—
Andrew McDiarmid,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Two out of 3 Americans surveyed, 66%, are worried about paying for health care — more than other household necessities such as utilities, food and groceries, housing and rent, and gasoline and transportation, according to a poll published Thursday by KFF, a nonpartisan health policy research group.—
Greg Iacurci,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The court acquitted Kim of two other charges, citing a lack of evidence and other reasons.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The meeting was canceled because of a lack of a quorum.—
Benjamin Weinthal,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The Strip had been reduced to a landscape of destitution and ruin.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
19 Oct. 2025
-
In late August, the World Health Organization cited a new Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis that found more than half a million people in Gaza are trapped in famine, marked by widespread starvation, destitution and preventable deaths.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
However, the creditor cannot seek a deficiency judgment if the asset sale does not fully satisfy the debt ― this is because the debt has been discharged.—
Jay Adkisson,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
People who spend a lot of time indoors or have dark skin are at risk for vitamin D deficiency.—
Mark Stibich,
Verywell Health,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Background characters have gruesome war wounds or shell shock, and postwar Liverpool has been bombed back to Victorian levels of deprivation.—
Christopher Tayler,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Chocolate cravings are often linked to stress, sleep deprivation, or low energy.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
An Australian study of advanced brain images found significant alterations even among people who had already recovered from mild infections — a possible explanation for cognitive deficits that may persist for years.—
Stephanie Armour,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Threes from Holiday and Camara, layups by Caleb Love and a succession of Grant free throws trimmed the deficit to 10 by the end of the quarter as the Celtics’ offense began to stagnate.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Poverty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poverty. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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