51Թ

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View synonyms for

poor

[poor]

adjective

poorer, poorest 
  1. having little or no money, goods, or other means of support.

    She came from a poor family struggling to survive.

    Synonyms: , , , , , , ,
    Antonyms: ,
  2. Law.dependent upon charity or public support.

  3. (of a country, institution, etc.) meagerly supplied or endowed with resources or funds.

  4. characterized by or showing poverty.

  5. deficient or lacking in something specified.

    a region poor in mineral deposits.

    Synonyms:
  6. faulty or inferior, as in construction.

    poor workmanship.

    Synonyms: ,
  7. (of land or soil) lacking abundance or productivity.

    poor soil.

    Synonyms: , ,
    Antonyms:
  8. excessively lean or emaciated, as cattle.

    Synonyms: , , ,
  9. of an inferior, inadequate, or unsatisfactory kind.

    poor health.

  10. lacking in skill, ability, or training.

    a poor cook.

  11. deficient in moral excellence; cowardly, abject, or mean.

  12. scanty, meager, or paltry in amount or number.

    a poor audience.

  13. humble; modest.

    They shared their poor meal with a stranger.

  14. unfortunate; hapless.

    The poor dog was limping.

    Synonyms: , ,


noun

(used with a plural verb)
  1. Often Disparaging and Offensive.Usually the poor poor people collectively.

poor

/ pʊə, pɔː /

adjective

    1. lacking financial or other means of subsistence; needy

    2. ( as collective noun; preceded by the )

      the poor

  1. characterized by or indicating poverty

    the country had a poor economy

  2. deficient in amount; scanty or inadequate

    a poor salary

  3. badly supplied (with resources, materials, etc)

    a region poor in wild flowers

  4. lacking in quality; inferior

  5. giving no pleasure; disappointing or disagreeable

    a poor play

  6. (prenominal) deserving of pity; unlucky

    poor John is ill again

  7. a (cheaper) substitute for something

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Pronunciation Note

In North and North Midland U.S. English, the vowel of poor is most often . Poor and sure thus contrast with pour and shore: , versus , or , . In the South Midland and South, the vowel of poor is generally or (often with the final (r) dropped), which means that in these areas, poor and pour are homophones, as are sure and shore. Both types of pronunciation exist in the British Isles.
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Other 51Թ Forms

  • poorness noun
  • nonpoor noun
  • quasi-poor adjective
  • quasi-poorly adverb
  • ˈǴǰԱ noun
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of poor1

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English pov(e)re, from Old French povre, from Latin pauper; pauper
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of poor1

C13: from Old French povre, from Latin pauper; see pauper , poverty
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. poor as Job's turkey, extremely poor.

  2. poor as a church mouse, extremely poor.

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Synonym Study

Poor, impecunious, impoverished, penniless refer to those lacking money. Poor is the simple term for the condition of lacking means to obtain the comforts of life: a very poor family. Impecunious often suggests that the poverty is a consequence of unwise habits: an impecunious actor. Impoverished often implies a former state of greater plenty, from which one has been reduced: the impoverished aristocracy. Penniless may mean destitute, or it may apply simply to a temporary condition of being without funds: The widow was left penniless with three small children.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

A poor tour of the West Indies and Khawaja will be feeling the heat but McDonald maintained he has a "big part to play".

From

But to others, they represent an affront to the values on which British policing was founded; a step towards a country in which the wealthy get better access to law enforcement than the poor.

From

Research from University College of London found people aged 10-24 who used social media sites were potentially at risk of developing image concerns, eating disorders and poor mental health.

From

Care keeps Wales running, it said, but many of those providing the care were struggling financially, had poor health and wellbeing and had to cut back on food and heating.

From

The first ended in another poor Le Roux kick and the second was a forward pass from Goosens right on the whistle.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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poop staffpoor as a churchmouse