destitute
adjective
des·ti·tute ˈde-stə-ˌtüt 
-ˌt(y)üt
1
: lacking something needed or desirable
a lake destitute of fish
2
: lacking possessions and resources
especially : suffering extreme poverty
a destitute old man
destituteness noun
Did you know?
You may be surprised to learn that "destitute" is related to words like "statue," "statute," and even "statistics." The Latin word status, meaning "position" or "state," is the source of these and other English words. Some terms of this family are directly related to "status," while others come to English through "statuere," a Latin derivative of "status" that means "to set up." "Destitute" came from "destituere" ("to abandon" or "to deprive"), a joining of "statuere" and the prefix de- ("from, down, away"). "Statuere" also gave us "constitute," "institute," and "restitution," among other similar-sounding words.
Synonyms
- beggared
- beggarly
- broke
- dirt-poor
- down-and-out
- famished
- hard up
- impecunious
- impoverished
- indigent
- necessitous
- needful
- needy
- pauperized
- penniless
- penurious
- poor
- poverty-stricken
- skint [chiefly British]
- threadbare
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
His business failures left him destitute. many families were left destitute by the horrible fire
Recent Examples on the Web The trauma and poverty that followed nearly left Nellie destitute, unable to pursue a career in law that her father once supported. 
Samantha Laine Perfas, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Sep. 2022 When her financially destitute father (Fleabag's Andrew Scott) attempts to marry her off to a wealthy suitor, Birdy puts up a fight, challenging her parents and the norms of the society in which she's raised. Nigel Smith, Peoplemag, 10 Aug. 2022 Women, boys, and girls, many as young as twelve, were raped by MINUSTAH peacekeepers, some of whom left behind unacknowledged and destitute offspring. Edwidge Danticat, The New Yorker, 5 July 2022 Today, 44 percent of Mexicans — nearly 56 million people — are destitute, according to the most recent government data available. New York Times, 18 July 2022 At that time, resources in Europe were scarce, and people were destitute. A.j. Baime, WSJ, 30 July 2022 An African City was part of that vanguard of media counteracting this narrative that Africa is a place that needs aid, where everyone’s destitute, or whatever. Kathleen Anaza, Vogue, 24 July 2022 Local officials who deal directly with the unclaimed, including Meredith Buck, the coroner in Bucks County, Pa., said people who end up this way are not all destitute. Mary Jordan, Washington Post, 2 July 2022 How much will disappear from the bank account before Manny is left destitute? Carolyn Rosenblatt, Forbes, 15 June 2022 See More
Samantha Laine Perfas, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Sep. 2022 When her financially destitute father (Fleabag's Andrew Scott) attempts to marry her off to a wealthy suitor, Birdy puts up a fight, challenging her parents and the norms of the society in which she's raised. Nigel Smith, Peoplemag, 10 Aug. 2022 Women, boys, and girls, many as young as twelve, were raped by MINUSTAH peacekeepers, some of whom left behind unacknowledged and destitute offspring. Edwidge Danticat, The New Yorker, 5 July 2022 Today, 44 percent of Mexicans — nearly 56 million people — are destitute, according to the most recent government data available. New York Times, 18 July 2022 At that time, resources in Europe were scarce, and people were destitute. A.j. Baime, WSJ, 30 July 2022 An African City was part of that vanguard of media counteracting this narrative that Africa is a place that needs aid, where everyone’s destitute, or whatever. Kathleen Anaza, Vogue, 24 July 2022 Local officials who deal directly with the unclaimed, including Meredith Buck, the coroner in Bucks County, Pa., said people who end up this way are not all destitute. Mary Jordan, Washington Post, 2 July 2022 How much will disappear from the bank account before Manny is left destitute? Carolyn Rosenblatt, Forbes, 15 June 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Latin destitutus, past participle of destituere to abandon, deprive, from de- + statuere to set up — more at statute
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing destitute
Kids Definition
destitute
adjective
des·ti·tute ˈde-stə-ˌtüt
-ˌtyüt
1
: lacking something needed or desirable
The room was destitute of comforts.
2
: very poor
The charity helps destitute people.
destitute
adjective
1
as in impoverished
lacking money or material possessions many families were left destitute by the horrible fire Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- impoverished
- poor
- broke
- penniless
- beggared
- indigent
- needy
- bankrupt
- deprived
- pauperized
- famished
- bankrupted
- necessitous
- needful
- impecunious
- beggarly
- penurious
- depressed
- threadbare
- skint
- disadvantaged
- poverty-stricken
- down-and-out
- hard up
- dirt-poor
- dispossessed
- underprivileged
- distressed
- ruined
- insolvent
- out of pocket
- out at elbows
- out at the elbows
- reduced
- down on one's luck
- busted
- bust
- straitened
- pinched
- hardscrabble
- poorish
- short
- unaffluent
- tapped out
- low
- possessionless
- hand-to-mouth
- cash-strapped
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- wealthy
- affluent
- rich
- opulent
- moneyed
- monied
- fat
- well-to-do
- well-off
- flush
- prosperous
- comfortable
- well-heeled
- silk-stocking
- deep-pocketed
- fat-cat
2
as in devoid
utterly lacking in something needed, wanted, or expected a lingering drought and a sky destitute of rain clouds Synonyms & Similar Words
- devoid
- bankrupt
- void
- bereft
- barren
- empty
- bare
- insufficient
- deficient
- absent
- incomplete
- wanting
- blank
- vacant
- fragmentary
- missing
- partial
- stark
- innocent
- fragmental
- short
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- full
- filled
- replete
- fraught
- provided
- furnished
- crowded
- rife
- flush
- supplied
- bursting
- saturated
- stuffed
- brimming
- teeming
- packed
- fat
- chockful
- crammed
- bulging
- jammed
- abounding
- loaded
- thick
- swarming
- thronging
- chock-full
- jam-packed