impoverish
verb
transitive verb
Example Sentences
Walter Russell Mead, WSJ, 29 Aug. 2022 In desperately poor Afghanistan, the ban seems certain to further impoverish its poorest citizens at a time when the country is in an economic free fall. Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2022 But others have been persuaded that any changes to pensions will impoverish the elderly, and are understandably worried — in other words, the electorate has as little trust in Illinois’ Republican legislators as in Democrats. Elizabeth Bauer, Forbes, 13 May 2021 Awarding damages for mere mistakes would impoverish debate, the court ruled. The Economist, 18 Mar. 2021 In truth, the sacrifices some families made to shoulder their debt burden underscores the folly of forcing families to impoverish themselves to attain higher education. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 2 Dec. 2020 The three countries of Central America’s impoverished Northern Triangle have extremely small asylum processing offices, but Wolf said the U.S. is working to expand their ability to process and care for asylum seekers. Robert Moore, Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2019 Tamara Qiblawi and Ghazi Balkiz report from Tripoli, where the lockdown has stoked resentment, fueled rumors of a government conspiracy to further impoverish the poor and ignited violent protests. Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 2 May 2020 President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt, who came to power through a military coup—has pursued a bleaker approach that is keeping his state solvent by impoverishing his people. Anthony Bubalo, The New Republic, 17 Mar. 2020 See More Word History
Middle English enpoverisshen, from Anglo-French empoveriss-, stem of empoverir, from en- + povre poor — more at poor
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
impoverish
verb
impoverish
verb
Synonyms & Similar Words
- pauperize
- ruin
- bankrupt
- beggar
- reduce
- bust
- straiten
- break
- wipe out
- clean (out)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- enrich
- richen
Synonyms & Similar Words
- deplete
- consume
- exhaust
- squander
- waste
- overspend
- spend
- lose
- splurge
- misspend
- lavish
- dissipate
- throw away
- blow
- run through
- indulge
- overindulge
- shoot
- expend
- fiddle away
- disburse
- trifle (away)
- fritter (away)
- lay out
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- protect
- preserve
- save
- conserve
- hoard
- economize
- lay up
- scrimp
- skimp
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of impoverish are bankrupt, deplete, drain, and exhaust. While all these words mean "to deprive of something essential to existence or potency," impoverish suggests a deprivation of something essential to richness or productiveness.
In some situations, the words bankrupt and impoverish are roughly equivalent. However, bankrupt suggests impoverishment to the point of imminent collapse.
The meanings of deplete and impoverish largely overlap; however, deplete implies a reduction in number or quantity so as to endanger the ability to function.
While in some cases nearly identical to impoverish, drain implies a gradual withdrawal and ultimate deprivation of what is necessary to an existence.
The words exhaust and impoverish are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, exhaust stresses a complete emptying.