poor
adjective
ˈpu̇r 
ˈpȯr
ˈpȯr 1
a
: lacking material possessions
b
: of, relating to, or characterized by poverty
2
a
: less than adequate : meager
b
: small in worth
3
: exciting pity
you poor thing
4
a
: inferior in quality or value
b
: humble, unpretentious
c
: mean, petty
5
: lean, emaciated
6
: barren, unproductive —used of land
7
: indifferent, unfavorable
8
: lacking a normal or adequate supply of something specified —often used in combination
oil-poor countries
poorish
ˈpu̇r-ish
adjective ˈpȯr-
poorness noun
Synonyms
- beggared
- beggarly
- broke
- destitute
- dirt-poor
- down-and-out
- famished
- hard up
- impecunious
- impoverished
- indigent
- necessitous
- needful
- needy
- pauperized
- penniless
- penurious
- poverty-stricken
- skint [chiefly British]
- threadbare
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
We were too poor to buy new clothes. The organization helps poor families. She has a poor vocabulary. It was a poor attempt at a joke. He is in poor condition. She couldn't read the sign because her vision was too poor. See More
Recent Examples on the Web Postwar Italy is poor, but Michele has a good job in a bank, and Valeria, unusually for her generation, also has a good office job. —
Roxana Robinson, Washington Post, 2 Feb. 2023 Many of the people executed as witches were poor, single mothers. —Susan Haigh, Hartford Courant, 1 Feb. 2023 Many of the people executed as witches were poor, single mothers. —Susan Haigh, Fortune, 1 Feb. 2023 Many of the people executed as witches were poor, single mothers. —CBS News, 1 Feb. 2023 Still, accuracy on truly free-flowing or accented or technical speech was relatively poor. —James Somers, The New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2023 There's so many people who have touched me and who are helping those who are poor. —Alex Ross, Peoplemag, 1 Feb. 2023 Many of the people executed as witches were poor, single mothers. —Susan Haigh, Anchorage Daily News, 1 Feb. 2023 In the future, Southwest may want to cancel more flights ahead of poor weather to prevent the domino effect that happened this time, said Garrow of Georgia Tech. —Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2023 See More
Roxana Robinson, Washington Post, 2 Feb. 2023 Many of the people executed as witches were poor, single mothers. —Susan Haigh, Hartford Courant, 1 Feb. 2023 Many of the people executed as witches were poor, single mothers. —Susan Haigh, Fortune, 1 Feb. 2023 Many of the people executed as witches were poor, single mothers. —CBS News, 1 Feb. 2023 Still, accuracy on truly free-flowing or accented or technical speech was relatively poor. —James Somers, The New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2023 There's so many people who have touched me and who are helping those who are poor. —Alex Ross, Peoplemag, 1 Feb. 2023 Many of the people executed as witches were poor, single mothers. —Susan Haigh, Anchorage Daily News, 1 Feb. 2023 In the future, Southwest may want to cancel more flights ahead of poor weather to prevent the domino effect that happened this time, said Garrow of Georgia Tech. —Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2023 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English poure, from Anglo-French povre, pore, from Latin pauper; akin to Latin paucus little and to Latin parere to give birth to, produce — more at few, pare
First Known Use
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Phrases Containing poor
Kids Definition
poor
1 of 2 adjectiveˈpu̇(ə)r,
ˈpō(ə)r
1
: lacking riches or possessions
2
: less than enough
a poor crop
3
: not good in quality or character of work
4
: lacking fertility
poor land
5
: not satisfactory
the patient had a poor day
6
: lacking in signs of wealth or good taste
poor furnishings
7
: worthy of pity or sympathy
the poor kitten hurt its paw
poorly adverb
poorness noun
poor
2 of 2 noun plural : poor people
charity for the poor
poor
adjective
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
- impoverished
- broke
- deprived
- needy
- beggared
- indigent
- impecunious
- bankrupt
- destitute
- pauperized
- penniless
- penurious
- needful
- famished
- necessitous
- depressed
- bankrupted
- beggarly
- disadvantaged
- poverty-stricken
- dirt-poor
- hard up
- threadbare
- underprivileged
- distressed
- skint
- ruined
- down-and-out
- dispossessed
- out at elbows
- out of pocket
- poorish
- out at the elbows
- reduced
- down on one's luck
- short
- unaffluent
- low
- busted
- pinched
- insolvent
- bust
- hardscrabble
- straitened
- possessionless
- cash-strapped
- tapped out
- hand-to-mouth
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- rich
- wealthy
- affluent
- opulent
- fat
- moneyed
- monied
- well-off
- well-to-do
- flush
- prosperous
- comfortable
- well-heeled
- fat-cat
- silk-stocking
- deep-pocketed
2
as in desolate
producing inferior or only a small amount of vegetation land that is too poor for farming Synonyms & Similar Words
- impoverished
- desolate
- barren
- waste
- bleak
- unproductive
- bony
- unfertile
- infertile
- hardscrabble
- stark
- dry
- desert
- dead
- exhausted
- reduced
- thirsty
- inhospitable
- boney
- lifeless
- diminished
- enfeebled
- drained
- depleted
- debilitated
- spent
- bankrupted
- consumed
- lessened
- arid
- droughty
- expended
- uncultivable
- untillable
- dehydrated
- waterless
- sere
- used up
- baked
- sear
- rainless
- dried-up
- parched
- sunbaked
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- rich
- productive
- fertile
- fruitful
- lush
- luxuriant
- arable
- green
- tillable
- verdant
- sylvan
3
as in scarce
less plentiful than what is normal, necessary, or desirable a poor crop because of the drought this year Synonyms & Similar Words
- scarce
- sparse
- meager
- inadequate
- lacking
- insufficient
- lowest
- skimpy
- meagre
- small
- stingy
- scanty
- sparing
- light
- slender
- scant
- short
- skimp
- deficient
- minimal
- spare
- exiguous
- slim
- mere
- hand-to-mouth
- niggardly
- thin
- thin on the ground
- least
- wanting
- littlest
- unproductive
- slightest
- bare
- unfruitful
- bare-bones
- sterile
- infertile
- slight
- barren
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- adequate
- rich
- liberal
- generous
- sufficient
- abundant
- satisfactory
- plentiful
- enough
- ample
- copious
- bountiful
- tolerable
- fat
- prolific
- plenteous
- fertile
- fruitful
- lavish
- extra
- flourishing
- excess
- bursting
- thriving
- fecund
- luxuriant
- proliferative
- surplus
- teeming
- swarming
- blooming
4
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard a pretty poor musician, even for a garage band Synonyms & Similar Words
- unacceptable
- bad
- wrong
- lame
- terrible
- horrible
- awful
- deficient
- pathetic
- wretched
- flawed
- disastrous
- unsatisfactory
- lousy
- suboptimal
- crummy
- dreadful
- substandard
- bastard
- ill
- inadequate
- brutal
- subpar
- inferior
- lacking
- sour
- off
- from hunger
- paltry
- rotten
- miserable
- wanting
- abysmal
- dissatisfactory
- defective
- bush
- crumby
- insufficient
- below par
- wack
- useless
- punk
- atrocious
- deplorable
- worthless
- short
- shoddy
- gross
- horrendous
- mediocre
- under par
- common
- crappy
- stinky
- bush-league
- damnable
- detestable
- sucky
- lesser
- execrable
- vile
- abominable
- faulty
- unspeakable
- egregious
- meager
- shabby
- odious
- bum
- gnarly
- miserly
- junky
- reprehensible
- trashy
- rubbishy
- coarse
- skimpy
- sleazy
- stingy
- cheesy
- flagrant
- scanty
- bitchin'
- valueless
- low-rent
- meagre
- mean
- miscreant
- villainous
- scurrilous
- spare
- low-grade
- second-rate
- skimp
- cut-rate
- fake
- niggardly
- counterfeit
- sham
- phony
- phoney
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- adequate
- decent
- acceptable
- satisfactory
- fine
- standard
- excellent
- okay
- great
- respectable
- tolerable
- better
- passable
- superior
- wonderful
- perfect
- classical
- exceptional
- superb
- splendid
- noble
- terrific
- classic
- special
- sufficient
- marvellous
- marvelous
- prime
- divine
- stellar
- fabulous
- exceptional
- neat
- choice
- superlative
- heavenly
- mean
- top
- average
- mediocre
- par excellence
- dandy
- fancy
- keen
- swell
- sensational
- minimal
- sterling
- grand
- unsurpassed
- premium
- slick
- all right
- nifty
- capital
- fair
- boss
- suitable
- middling
- useful
- banner
- worthy
- supernal
- unexceptional
- OK
- borderline
- groovy
- top-notch
- first-rate
- crackerjack
- first-class
- tip-top
- satisfying
- so-so
- high-test
- bang-up
- jim-dandy
- gratifying
- high-grade
- A1
5
as in terrible
of low quality the poor workmanship of the goods from that store Synonyms & Similar Words
- terrible
- bad
- inferior
- cheap
- rotten
- common
- coarse
- wretched
- shoddy
- miserable
- mediocre
- lousy
- worthless
- useless
- crappy
- bum
- rubbishy
- execrable
- junky
- trashy
- sleazy
- cheesy
- trumpery
- cheapjack
- low-rent
- counterfeit
- fake
- schlock
- lackluster
- gimcrack
- low-grade
- second-rate
- shlocky
- indifferent
- cut-rate
- schlocky
- valueless
- shabby
- bargain-basement
- shlock
- el cheapo
- tawdry
- gaudy
- showy
- meretricious
- swank
- flashy
- garish
- glitzy
- kitschy
- seedy
- ostentatious
- tacky
- kitsch
- swanky
- sham
- second-class
- splashy
- brummagem
- phony
- ultracheap
- supercheap
- phoney
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- good
- excellent
- superior
- fine
- handsome
- elegant
- top-notch
- tasteful
- first-rate
- first-class
- high-grade
- refined
- polished
- handcrafted
6
as in pitiful
deserving of one's pity aw, the poor kitten hurt its paw Synonyms & Similar Words
- pitiful
- pathetic
- miserable
- wretched
- sorry
- horrible
- terrible
- sad
- pitiable
- disturbing
- piteous
- awful
- deplorable
- affecting
- impressive
- heartbreaking
- lamentable
- regrettable
- emotional
- inspiring
- mournful
- rueful
- moving
- distressing
- upsetting
- heartrending
- touching
- poignant
- sorrowful
- woeful
- stirring
- grievous
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- unimpressive
- uninspiring