1
as in impoverished
lacking money or material possessions
every year, we make up a basket of food at Thanksgiving for a poor family in the neighborhood
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in desolate
producing inferior or only a small amount of vegetation
land that is too poor for farming
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in scarce
less plentiful than what is normal, necessary, or desirable
a poor crop because of the drought this year
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
a pretty poor musician, even for a garage band
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in terrible
of low quality
the poor workmanship of the goods from that store
Synonyms & Similar Words
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6
as in pitiful
deserving of one's pity
aw, the poor kitten hurt its paw
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of poor
Suddenly, you’re stuck on the couch until your poor hip heals, staring down a long road of limited mobility and rehab.
—
Erica Sloan, SELF, 31 Mar. 2026
That leaves poorer nations scrambling.
—Anton L. Delgado, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
That will strain area hospitals and health clinics and reverberate across the economy with higher costs and poorer health.
—Suzanne King, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2026
What came first, Ben’s poor management style or Ellie’s ungovernable temper?
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for poor
Erica Sloan, SELF, 31 Mar. 2026
That leaves poorer nations scrambling.
—Anton L. Delgado, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
That will strain area hospitals and health clinics and reverberate across the economy with higher costs and poorer health.
—Suzanne King, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2026
What came first, Ben’s poor management style or Ellie’s ungovernable temper?
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for poor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poor
Adjective
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Cities like Chicago — long a haven for Mexican immigrants with ties to families and a community — became landing spots for migrants from increasingly impoverished and authoritarian places such as Venezuela.—
Joe Mahr,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
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And because of their status, undocumented students are also more likely to come from impoverished backgrounds, says Caitlin Patler, a professor of public policy at UC Berkeley.—
Jonaki Mehta,
NPR,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Markets usually jammed with customers were desolate Friday, with some vendors loudly promoting their products in a desperate attempt to attract customers.—
Félix Márquez,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2026
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Markets usually jammed with customers were desolate on Friday, with some vendors loudly promoting their products in a desperate attempt to attract customers.—
Boston Herald Wire Services,
Boston Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Companies competed for scarce workers with healthcare coverage when wages were frozen.—
Charles Edward Gehrke,
Fortune,
28 Mar. 2026
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Details were scarce on when checks would arrive, and a political battle in Congress over funding the Department of Homeland Security continued in earnest Friday.—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Even in the absence of any proven crime committed by Tisch, even in the naivest retelling or understanding of Tisch’s correspondences with Epstein, his unacceptable relationship with this man deserves censure.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
1 Apr. 2026
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Artemis has been trudging along at a once-every-three-years flight rate, which Isaacman deems unacceptable.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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This is a terrible blow against reform and the Dems should be ashamed.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
2 Apr. 2026
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Here are five novels that have been tied to terrible crimes.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Given that California ranks a pitiful 49th in the nation in the condition, safety and costs of roads and bridges, according to the Reason Foundation’s 2025 Annual Highway Report, taxpayers’ transportation dollars would likely be better spent elsewhere.—
Adam Summers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Mar. 2026
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The rear cargo space is pitiful for a vehicle of this size, price, and classification.—
Jesus R. Garcia,
Houston Chronicle,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Not a lot of acts are going for broke right now, especially when plenty of musicians are just plain broke.—
Hannah Jocelyn,
Pitchfork,
30 Mar. 2026
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And what Hartzman's go-for-broke screams in Milwaukee showed was that Wednesday has been able to meet the moment with a thrilling live show that matches the ecstatic accolades for their latest albums - while crucially staying true to themselves.—
Piet Levy,
jsonline.com,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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In some places, fish catches declined precipitously in medium depths, which Joye attributes to nutritionally barren conditions.—
Jeffrey Marlow,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
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His dread turned to panic when Hochheiser, 79, was unloaded at Villa Rosa III, a 48-bed assisted living home with peeling paint, burglar bars, barren planters and a history of poor care.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Poor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poor. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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