1
as in impoverished
lacking money or material possessions
many families were left destitute by the horrible fire
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in devoid
utterly lacking in something needed, wanted, or expected
a lingering drought and a sky destitute of rain clouds
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of destitute
Many samurai remain, but sword-carrying is outlawed, leaving many of them jobless and destitute.
—
Kayti Burt, Time, 13 Nov. 2025
To make matters worse, the equally destitute viewing public is rewarded for ratting out the runners (or killing the contestants themselves), which pits neighbor against neighbor in a way that keeps the underclass at war with itself.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 11 Nov. 2025
Other than their great number, these Irish immigrants were different from previous new arrivals because many of them were absolutely destitute and many came from rural areas.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 28 Oct. 2025
The movement of aid has increased through Israel’s border, but on a scale that Palestinians say falls short of the needs of a destitute populace.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for destitute
Kayti Burt, Time, 13 Nov. 2025
To make matters worse, the equally destitute viewing public is rewarded for ratting out the runners (or killing the contestants themselves), which pits neighbor against neighbor in a way that keeps the underclass at war with itself.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 11 Nov. 2025
Other than their great number, these Irish immigrants were different from previous new arrivals because many of them were absolutely destitute and many came from rural areas.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 28 Oct. 2025
The movement of aid has increased through Israel’s border, but on a scale that Palestinians say falls short of the needs of a destitute populace.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for destitute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for destitute
Adjective
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Pilgrims also threw in coins as offerings, some later retrieved by impoverished people to survive.—
Norma Meyer,
Oc Register,
4 Feb. 2026
-
The penultimate episode saw Deathclaws descending on Freeside, an impoverished community on the fringes of New Vegas.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Banking has become functionally correct but emotionally devoid, with the industry swimming in a sea of sameness.—
Michael Abbott,
Forbes,
19 Mar. 2025
-
That devoid ingredient hindered things exponentially.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Feb. 2024
Adjective
-
Semmann said stores raise prices primarily in response to supply chain issues, such as poor harvests, changes to international trade policy or increasing logistical costs.—
Francesca Pica,
jsonline.com,
10 Feb. 2026
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Boating conditions are poor across offshore waters south of Cape Canaveral, while small craft need to exercise caution near the inlets.—
Garfield Hylton,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
And Cannon — who played with the Houston Oilers, Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs — admitted to counterfeiting in the mid-1980s after a series of bad investments and debts left him broke.—
Seung Min Kim,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
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But the problem wasn’t going away, and now Perardi was broke.—
Matthew Bremner,
Rolling Stone,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Destitute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destitute. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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