impoverished

adjective

im·​pov·​er·​ished im-ˈpä-v(ə-)risht How to pronounce impoverished (audio)
1
: reduced to poverty : poor
an impoverished family/community
2
: exhausted of richness or fertility
impoverished soils
3
of a fauna or flora : represented by few species or individuals

Examples of impoverished in a Sentence

the widespread hope that the lottery's record-setting jackpot is won by an impoverished family an impoverished field that over the years had been overgrazed
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
It was conducted in an impoverished country in Africa where the mortality rate for children under age 5 is about double the global average, according to data collected by UNICEF. Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2025 Along with housing, medical expenses are a top cost for impoverished people. Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 16 Sep. 2025 The walk is presided over by its creator, a mysterious authoritarian figure known as the Major (Mark Hamill) who extolls the sadistic contest as a boon for the spirits of the impoverished American people. Megan McCluskey, Time, 12 Sep. 2025 Probably the one that’s best known is the one about how Philomelus, a young, impoverished farmer and herdsman, struggled to push his plow through his fields. Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 7 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for impoverished

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of impoverished was in 1611

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Cite this Entry

“Impoverished.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impoverished. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.

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