Word forms: comparative poorer, superlative poorest
1. adjective
Someone who is poor has very little money and few possessions.
The reason our schools cannot afford better teachers is because people here are poor.
He was one of thirteen children from a poor family.
Synonyms: impoverished, broke [informal], badly off, hard up [informal] More Synonyms of poor
The poor are people who are poor.
Even the poor have their pride.
2. adjective
The people in a poor country or area have very little money and few possessions.
Many countries in the Third World are as poor as they have ever been.
...a settlement house for children in a poor neighborhood.
3. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
You use poor to express your sympathy for someone.
[feelings]
I feel sorry for that poor child.
Poor chap–he was killed in an air crash.
Poor Gordon!
Synonyms: unfortunate, pathetic, miserable, unlucky More Synonyms of poor
4. adjective
If you describe something as poor, you mean that it is of a low quality or standard or that it is in bad condition.
The flat was in a poor state of repair.
The gap between the best and poorest childcare provision in Europe has widened.
The food was poor.
poorlyadverb [ADVERB -ed, ADVERB after verb]
Some are living in poorly built dormitories, even in tents.
They were dressed and fed poorly.
5. adjective
If you describe an amount, rate, or number as poor, you mean that it is less than expected or less than is considered reasonable.
...poor wages and working conditions.
Synonyms: meagre, inadequate, insufficient, reduced More Synonyms of poor
poorlyadverb [ADVERB -ed, ADVERB after verb]
During the first week, the evening meetings were poorly attended.
6. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
You use poor to describe someone who is not very skilful in a particular activity.
He was a poor actor.
Hospitals are poor at collecting information. [+ at]
poorlyadverb [ADVERB after verb]
This team can play very well or very poorly.
Synonyms: badly, incompetently, inadequately, crudely More Synonyms of poor
7. adjective
If something is poor in a particular quality or substance, it contains very little of the quality or substance.
Fats and sugar are very rich in energy but poor in vitamins, minerals and dietaryfibre.
...soil that is poor in zinc.
More Synonyms of poor
poor in British English
(pʊə, pɔː)
adjective
1.
a.
lacking financial or other means of subsistence; needy
b.
(as collective noun; preceded by the)
the poor
2.
characterized by or indicating poverty
the country had a poor economy
3.
deficient in amount; scanty or inadequate
a poor salary
4. (whenpostpositive, usually foll by in)
badly supplied (with resources, materials, etc)
a region poor in wild flowers
5.
lacking in quality; inferior
6.
giving no pleasure; disappointing or disagreeable
a poor play
7. (prenominal)
deserving of pity; unlucky
poor John is ill again
8. poor man's something
Derived forms
poorness (ˈpoorness)
noun
Word origin
C13: from Old French povre, from Latin pauper; see pauper, poverty
poor in American English
(pʊr)
adjective
1.
a.
lacking material possessions; having little or no means to support oneself; needy;impoverished
b.
indicating or characterized by poverty
2.
lacking in some quality or thing
; specif.,
a.
lacking abundance; scanty; inadequate
poor crops
b.
lacking productivity; barren; sterile
poor soil
c.
lacking nourishment; feeble; emaciated
a poor body
d.
lacking excellence or worth; below average, inferior, bad, etc. or paltry, mean, insignificant, etc.
e.
lacking good moral or mental qualities; mean-spirited; contemptible
f.
lacking pleasure, comfort, or satisfaction
to have a poor time
g.
lacking skill
3.
worthy of pity; unfortunate
Idioms:
the poor
SYNONYMY NOTE: poor is the simple, direct term for one who lacks the resources for reasonably comfortableliving; impoverished (see impoverish) is applied to one who having once had plenty is now reduced to poverty [an impoverished aristocrat]; destitute implies such great poverty that the means for mere subsistence, such as food andshelter, are lacking [left destitute by the war]; impecunious applies to one in a habitual state of poverty and suggests that this results frompersonal practices [an impecunious gambler]; indigent implies such relative poverty as results in a lack of luxuries and the enduranceof hardships [books for indigent children]
OPPOSITES: rich, wealthy
Derived forms
poorness (ˈpoorness)
noun
Word origin
ME pore < OFr povre < L pauper, poor < IE base *pōu-, small > few, foal
More idioms containing
poor
poor as a church mouse
Examples of 'poor' in a sentence
poor
These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content.Read more…
The visible effects can also include obesity and poor skin quality.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
But the potential return offered is sometimes so poor there is little point in using them.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
But education chiefs insist it will help 10,000 schools in the poorest areas.
The Sun (2017)
You can see why today's parents feel so poor.
The Sun (2016)
Thanks to low wages and high rents, young people are relatively poor in real terms.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
She added: 'We are poor and cannot afford expensive treatment.
The Sun (2017)
Pity the poor orchestra having to play second fiddle to that load of rubbish.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Many more are too poor to afford tests.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
It will lead to huge financial overspend and poor training.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Many people in poorer areas do not venture out at night.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
They seem to think this is something that only happens in poor areas.
The Sun (2014)
It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy.
The Sun (2012)
This meant that poor people subsidised banking for rich people who were less likely to incur charges.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
You have to feel for the poor innocent people who have had to live through it all.
The Sun (2011)
How can it be right that people too poor to afford legal representation are denied it?
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Many people from poorer backgrounds may be deterred from going to university under the new proposals.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
And he will say that new schools must be targeted at the poorest areas.
The Sun (2011)
He shall deliver the poor and needy.
Christianity Today (2000)
The poorest people should be with credit unions.
The Sun (2013)
He wanted to make people feel poor.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Perhaps you were merely taking pity on a poor dull dog arrived from the ends of the earth!
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Pets like this poor little thing.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
If the triple lock were dropped, it would be the poor taking the financial burden.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The performances in the World Cup were poor.
The Sun (2007)
For some Hollywood celebrities, a good cause in a poor country is practically part of the job description.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Quotations
The poor always ye have with youBible: St. John
Poor and content is rich and rich enoughWilliam ShakespeareOthello
In other languages
poor
British English: poor /pʊə; pɔː/ ADJECTIVE
Someone who is poor has very little money and few possessions.
The reason our schools cannot afford better teachers is because people here are poor.
American English: poor
Arabic: فَقِير
Brazilian Portuguese: pobre
Chinese: 贫穷的
Croatian: siromašan
Czech: chudý
Danish: fattig
Dutch: arm
European Spanish: pobre
Finnish: köyhä
French: pauvre
German: arm
Greek: φτωχός
Italian: povero
Japanese: 貧しい
Korean: 가난한
Norwegian: fattig
Polish: biedny
European Portuguese: pobre
Romanian: sărac
Russian: бедный
Latin American Spanish: pobre
Swedish: fattig
Thai: ยากจน
Turkish: yoksul
Ukrainian: бідний
Vietnamese: nghèo
Translate your text for free
All related terms of 'poor'
dirt-poor
A dirt-poor person or place is extremely poor.
land-poor
owning much unprofitable land and lacking the money to maintain its fertility or improve it
piss-poor
If you describe something as piss-poor , you think it is of extremely poor quality.
poor box
a box , esp one in a church , used for the collection of alms or money for poor people
poor boy
a baguette filled with fried meat or seafood
poor chap
A chap is a man or boy .
poor cod
Trisopterus minutus; a small member of the cod family
poor farm
a farm for paupers , supported by a county or other local government
poor law
a law providing for the relief or support of the poor from public, esp parish , funds
poor laws
laws that provide for public relief and assistance for the poor
poor rate
a rate or tax levied by parishes for the relief or support of the poor
poor soul
You can refer to someone as a particular kind of soul when you are describing their character or condition.
the poor
poor, or needy , people collectively
time-poor
Someone who is time-poor has very little spare time or leisure time.
poor child
A child is a human being who is not yet an adult .
poor mouth
unjustified complaining , esp to excite sympathy
poor rating
A rating of something is a score or measurement of how good or popular it is.
poor White
a poverty-stricken and underprivileged White person, esp in the southern US and South Africa
poor hygiene
Hygiene is the practice of keeping yourself and your surroundings clean , especially in order to prevent illness or the spread of diseases.
poor judgment
Judgment is the ability to make sensible guesses about a situation or sensible decisions about what to do.
poor quality
The quality of something is how good or bad it is.
poor relation
If you describe one thing as a poor relation of another, you mean that it is similar to or part of the other thing, but is considered to be inferior to it.
poor service
The level or standard of service provided by an organization or company is the amount or quality of the work it can do for you.
poor-spirited
lacking in spirit ; cowardly
poor standard
A standard is a level of quality or achievement , especially a level that is thought to be acceptable .
poor management
Management is the control and organizing of a business or other organization.
poor visibility
Visibility means how far or how clearly you can see in particular weather conditions.
poor neighbourhood
A neighbourhood is one of the parts of a town where people live.
poor performance
Someone's or something's performance is how successful they are or how well they do something.
land-poor farmer
a farmer who owns much unprofitable land and lacks the money to maintain its fertility or improve it
poor man's orange
a grapefruit
poor man's orchid
any plant of the Chilean annual genus Schizanthus , some species of which are grown as pot or garden plants for their showy red, white, or yellow orchid-like flowers: family Solanaceae
poorbox
a box , esp one in a church, used for the collection of alms or money for the poor
poorhouse
In former times in Britain , a poorhouse was an institution in which poor people could live . It was paid for by the public.
to take a dim view poor view
If you take a dim view or a poor view of someone or something, you disapprove of them or have a low opinion of them.
a poor excuse for
a very inferior example of
cut a poor figure
to appear or behave badly
poor man's something
a ( cheaper ) substitute for something
overseer of the poor
a minor official of a parish attached to the workhouse or poorhouse
poor man's weatherglass
a weedy primulaceous plant, Anagallis arvensis, of temperate regions, having small red, purple , or white star-shaped flowers that close in bad weather
poor as a church mouse
very poor
in (good, poor, etc.) taste
in a form, style, or manner showing a (good, poor , etc.) sense of beauty , excellence , fitness , propriety , etc.
take a dim view of
to regard (something) with disfavour or disapproval
schizanthus
any plant of the Chilean annual genus Schizanthus, some species of which are grown as pot or garden plants for their showy red, white, or yellow orchid-like flowers: family Solanaceae
scarlet pimpernel
a weedy primulaceous plant, Anagallis arvensis, of temperate regions, having small red, purple , or white star-shaped flowers that close in bad weather
shepherd's weatherglass
a weedy primulaceous plant, Anagallis arvensis, of temperate regions, having small red, purple , or white star-shaped flowers that close in bad weather