1
a
: lacking sufficient money or material possessions
too poor to buy new clothes
b
: of, relating to, or characterized by poverty
a poor nation
2
a
: less than adequate : meager
a poor effort
poor attendance
b
: small in worth
3
: exciting pity
you poor thing
4
a
: inferior in quality or value
had poor language skills
b
6
: barren, unproductive
—used of land
7
: indifferent, unfavorable
had a poor opinion of them
a poor profession
8
: lacking a normal or adequate supply of something specified
—often used in combination
oil-poor countries
poorness
noun
Examples of poor in a Sentence
We were too poor to buy new clothes.
The organization helps poor families.
She has a poor vocabulary.
It was a poor attempt at a joke.
He is in poor condition.
She couldn't read the sign because her vision was too poor.
Recent Examples on the Web
As has Mark Flekken, the new goalkeeper, who moved from Brentford and is fortunate not to have lost his place due to poor form.
—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
That bout, however, ended in a no-contest and was met with a poor reception from the live audience.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
Hurricane Melissa tore through the Caribbean in recent days, leaving a wake of destruction as some of the region’s poorest countries struggled to cope with the storm.
—Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 31 Oct. 2025
The fact that a cash-poor NASA is trying to juggle two human space flight programs—the station and moon-Mars—only exacerbates the funding problem.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poor
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.
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
That bout, however, ended in a no-contest and was met with a poor reception from the live audience.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
Hurricane Melissa tore through the Caribbean in recent days, leaving a wake of destruction as some of the region’s poorest countries struggled to cope with the storm.
—Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 31 Oct. 2025
The fact that a cash-poor NASA is trying to juggle two human space flight programs—the station and moon-Mars—only exacerbates the funding problem.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poor
Cite this Entry
“Poor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poor. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share