1
a
: lacking material possessions
b
: of, relating to, or characterized by poverty
2
a
: less than adequate : meager
b
: small in worth
3
: exciting pity
you poor thing
4
6
: barren, unproductive
—used of land
7
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
Despite having a poor 2024 season that saw the Pirates remove Bednar from the closer role, the right-hander is back to his dominant form.
—
Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 June 2025
The key drivers are BGE’s soaring spending and profits and poor management by PJM Interconnection, the private entity that operates our electric grid.
—Emily Scarr, Baltimore Sun, 29 June 2025
The settlement, reached earlier this year between the city of San Diego and lawsuit plaintiffs who accused planners of concentrating their affordable-housing efforts in poorer communities, was finalized by U.S. District Judge Jinsook Ohta late last week.
—Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 June 2025
The stratification of our society continues unabated, with the rich getting richer, and the poor getting poorer.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for poor
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Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 June 2025
The key drivers are BGE’s soaring spending and profits and poor management by PJM Interconnection, the private entity that operates our electric grid.
—Emily Scarr, Baltimore Sun, 29 June 2025
The settlement, reached earlier this year between the city of San Diego and lawsuit plaintiffs who accused planners of concentrating their affordable-housing efforts in poorer communities, was finalized by U.S. District Judge Jinsook Ohta late last week.
—Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 June 2025
The stratification of our society continues unabated, with the rich getting richer, and the poor getting poorer.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 June 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 13 Jul. 2025.
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