POVERTY Synonyms: 74 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'poverty' distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of poverty are destitution , indigence , penury , and want . While all these words mean "the state of one with insufficient resources," poverty may cover a range from extreme want of necessities to an absence of material comforts. // the extreme poverty of the slum dwellers

Q: Where would 'indigence' be a reasonable alternative to 'poverty'?

Although the words indigence and poverty have much in common, indigence implies seriously straitened circumstances. // the indigence of her years as a graduate student

Q: When would 'penury' be a good substitute for 'poverty'?

The words penury and poverty are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, penury suggests a cramping or oppressive lack of money. // a catastrophic illness that condemned them to years of penury

Q: How do 'want' and 'destitution' relate to one another, in the sense of 'poverty'?

Both want and destitution imply extreme poverty that threatens life itself through starvation or exposure. // lived in a perpetual state of want // the widespread destitution in countries beset by famine

poverty

noun

ˈpä-vər-tē

Definition of poverty next

as in misery

the state of lacking sufficient money or material possessions he dreamed of finding a good job and working his way out of poverty and debt

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in shortage

a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number a poverty of information about the new policies

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word poverty distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of poverty are destitution, indigence, penury, and want. While all these words mean "the state of one with insufficient resources," poverty may cover a range from extreme want of necessities to an absence of material comforts.

the extreme poverty of the slum dwellers

Where would indigence be a reasonable alternative to poverty?

Although the words indigence and poverty have much in common, indigence implies seriously straitened circumstances.

the indigence of her years as a graduate student

When would penury be a good substitute for poverty?

The words penury and poverty are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, penury suggests a cramping or oppressive lack of money.

a catastrophic illness that condemned them to years of penury

How do want and destitution relate to one another, in the sense of poverty?

Both want and destitution imply extreme poverty that threatens life itself through starvation or exposure.

lived in a perpetual state of want

the widespread destitution in countries beset by famine

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 poverty Children under 5 are the age group most likely to encounter poverty and eviction, and more than one in six young people under 18 live below the federal poverty line. —

Jeremy Tanner, The Hill, 21 Jan. 2025 These include ending hunger and poverty; improving health care and education access for the global population; ensuring gender equality, access to clean water and sanitation; and protecting the climate. —

Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 20 Jan. 2025 Meanwhile, the number of people living in poverty has barely changed since 1990, the charity said, citing World Bank Data. —

April Roach, CNBC, 20 Jan. 2025 In eastern Kentucky, a region that is plagued by poverty and is at the heart of the country’s opioid epidemic, the burden of addressing this treatment gap has mainly been taken up by addiction-rehab companies. —

Eric Jason Martin Krish Seenivasan Aaron Esposito Quinton Kamara, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for poverty

Recent Examples of Synonyms for poverty

Noun

This is especially harmful to disabled people who are told by others — mostly medical professionals — that their condition constitutes a life sentence of misery.

— Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 28 Jan. 2025
Hamas committed horrific atrocities in October 2023 that didn’t empower Palestinians but left them in misery.

— Nicholas Kristof, The Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2025