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
Relevance
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
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 poverty
Born into a poor family in New York, Nelson joined the Marine Corps at the age of 18 to escape discrimination and poverty.
—
Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 28 Mar. 2026
More than 40% of Houston ZIP codes have no mental health providers, and the neighborhoods that lack access to those services typically have higher poverty rates and a greater share of minority residents.
—Evan MacDonald, Houston Chronicle, 28 Mar. 2026
With millions of people projected to move to North Texas by 2050, educators and public officials are working with businesses and nonprofits to bolster skills among residents and address persistent poverty.
—Wilborn P. Nobles Iii, Dallas Morning News, 26 Mar. 2026
In 2024, the research group published a follow-up study that tracked children born into poverty in 1992.
—Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for poverty
Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 28 Mar. 2026
More than 40% of Houston ZIP codes have no mental health providers, and the neighborhoods that lack access to those services typically have higher poverty rates and a greater share of minority residents.
—Evan MacDonald, Houston Chronicle, 28 Mar. 2026
With millions of people projected to move to North Texas by 2050, educators and public officials are working with businesses and nonprofits to bolster skills among residents and address persistent poverty.
—Wilborn P. Nobles Iii, Dallas Morning News, 26 Mar. 2026
In 2024, the research group published a follow-up study that tracked children born into poverty in 1992.
—Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for poverty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poverty
Noun
-
The transition from agricultural employment to factory employment involved wrenching mass migration, the utter misery of the Great Depression (as well as other brutal recessions, now faded from collective memory), and the painful dealmaking of the New Deal.—
Annie Lowrey,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
-
In contrast, his wife, Chandravati, is selfish as a daughter-in-law and disrespects Swasthani, leading to enormous misery for her.—
Jessica Vantine Birkenholtz,
The Conversation,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The lack of pay has contributed to high call-out rates at airports across the country, including at Philadelphia International Airport, where staffing shortages have led to longer security lines.—
Eva Andersen,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The war has threatened global supplies of oil and natural gas, sparked fertilizer shortages and disrupted air travel.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But the uncertainty around when the shutdown will end puts a lot of pressure on these workers, many of whom depend on timely paychecks to keep up with rent, groceries and other necessities.—
Lisa Hagen,
Hartford Courant,
27 Mar. 2026
-
This year, small ski areas in Wisconsin, Idaho and Utah are trying their hand at snow farming — a sign that new, work-intensive interventions are becoming a necessity as the ski industry grapples with climate change.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
As recently as 2022, research group IDinsight found unintended pregnancy was, after a lack of money for school fees, the leading cause of girls not returning to education.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
In Miami-Dade, the lack of oversight has been acute, the Herald found.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
When the family patriarch dies, Nicholas, his mother, and sister are thrown into financial destitution.—
Diana Arterian,
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Even longtime supporters from the Alawite religious minority—the sect to which the Assads belong—began to complain about their destitution.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Titone is also concerned about a new audit of OIT that identified serious deficiencies in the state's cybersecurity protocols.—
Shaun Boyd,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
In fact, one study found 84% of postmenopausal women diagnosed with osteoporosis had a magnesium deficiency.—
Caroline Tien,
SELF,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Hamilton says severe sleep deprivation can be comparable to driving under the influence, affecting your accuracy and reaction time.—
Wakisha Bailey,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Such terrible deprivations the newcomers to our land must endure while guzzling nips, smoking weed and driving the wrong way on our interstate highways.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Indians erased an early 3-0 deficit with 3 runs in the second and 4 in the fourth.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Brown, who scuffled as a shooter for most of the game, caught fire late with two 3-pointers and an and-one midrange jumper that cut Boston’s deficit to eight with just over a minute remaining.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Poverty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poverty. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
