as in impoverished
lacking money or material possessions
went from being a penniless girl to owner of her own restaurant
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of penniless
Season 5 also introduces colorful newcomers, like Minnie Driver, who plays a a penniless princess turned hustler who unexpectedly becomes Agence Grateau’s white knight.
—
Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 22 Dec. 2025
Since then, Federal Reserve locations have reported depleted supplies of pennies, and as of this week, more than 100 of the 165 coin distribution sites across the country are penniless.
—Connor Greene, Time, 13 Nov. 2025
Christophe’s son died penniless and alone on the streets of Paris in October 1805 at the age of only eleven.
—Marlene L. Daut
september 22, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2025
Her ex-husband wiped out several bank accounts and disappeared, leaving her and their children practically penniless.
—Essence, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for penniless
Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 22 Dec. 2025
Since then, Federal Reserve locations have reported depleted supplies of pennies, and as of this week, more than 100 of the 165 coin distribution sites across the country are penniless.
—Connor Greene, Time, 13 Nov. 2025
Christophe’s son died penniless and alone on the streets of Paris in October 1805 at the age of only eleven.
—Marlene L. Daut
september 22, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2025
Her ex-husband wiped out several bank accounts and disappeared, leaving her and their children practically penniless.
—Essence, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for penniless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penniless
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
But the problem wasn’t going away, and now Perardi was broke.—
Matthew Bremner,
Rolling Stone,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Penniless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penniless. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
