as in impoverished
lacking money or material possessions
poverty-stricken immigrants struggling to make ends meet
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Recent Examples of poverty-stricken
During and after the Great Depression, the Tennessee Valley Authority built dozens of hydroelectric dams, bringing electricity and flood control to the most remote and poverty-stricken hollows of Appalachia.
—
Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 29 June 2025
That’s a long way from living in motels and stealing steaks from grocery stores during his more humble days of being poverty-stricken.
—Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 28 Feb. 2025
At the time, Whitechapel was poverty-stricken and overcrowded, with over 76,000 people populating its dilapidated avenues and dwellings.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 18 Jan. 2024
Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 29 June 2025
That’s a long way from living in motels and stealing steaks from grocery stores during his more humble days of being poverty-stricken.
—Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 28 Feb. 2025
At the time, Whitechapel was poverty-stricken and overcrowded, with over 76,000 people populating its dilapidated avenues and dwellings.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 18 Jan. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poverty-stricken
Adjective
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The minerals Kajumba and hundreds of thousands of impoverished Congolese were digging up allowed the rest of the world to enjoy the benefits of electricity, but the benefits to the people of Congo were woefully limited.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
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Brooks speaks colorfully and candidly, starting with his impoverished Brooklyn childhood, raised with three brothers by his mother after his father died of tuberculosis.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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According to Jabra’s research, 99% of knowledge workers say poor audio quality impacts their online meetings and call quality.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
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While the pandemic hit everyone all at once, the recovery from that jolt has taken place on two diverging tracks, with the well-off getting wealthier and the poor getting poorer.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Poverty-stricken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poverty-stricken. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.
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