1
as in impoverished
lacking money or material possessions
many families were left destitute by the horrible fire
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in devoid
utterly lacking in something needed, wanted, or expected
a lingering drought and a sky destitute of rain clouds
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of destitute
Mauritius may have gambled with its national dowry, but its consideration for a destitute citizenry wasn’t merely notional.
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Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024
The migrant workers abandoned in Lebanon Migrant workers in Lebanon, the vast majority of which are women, have been made destitute by Israel’s bombardment.
—Andrew Torgan, CNN, 13 Oct. 2024
Pamela Bailey operates her own small non-profit providing information to prisoners, many of whom are destitute and are looking for information.
—Walter Pavlo, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024
While Matson’s parents moved him and his brother from the hollers of West Virginia to Cincinnati at age five — his grandfather, George, was raised in destitute poverty.
—Omaid Homayun, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for destitute 
Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024
The migrant workers abandoned in Lebanon Migrant workers in Lebanon, the vast majority of which are women, have been made destitute by Israel’s bombardment.
—Andrew Torgan, CNN, 13 Oct. 2024
Pamela Bailey operates her own small non-profit providing information to prisoners, many of whom are destitute and are looking for information.
—Walter Pavlo, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024
While Matson’s parents moved him and his brother from the hollers of West Virginia to Cincinnati at age five — his grandfather, George, was raised in destitute poverty.
—Omaid Homayun, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for destitute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for destitute
Adjective
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Assad’s fall ends more than six decades of Baath Party rule that sought to center Syria as a leader in the Arab world, but instead left it corruption-riddled and impoverished.Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024
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In Delhi, impoverished kids are learning to love reading and math, thanks to a police officer’s makeshift school.Shefali Rafiq, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Delle, devoid for so long from its intrinsic need for social interaction might be filling in the gaps by talking to himself.Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 14 Feb. 2023
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The medication has hallucinogenic effects that alter the perception of sight and sound and cause users to feel devoid from pain and out of control of their surroundings.Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 28 Oct. 2023
Adjective
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So this poor kid [who finished in last], this single guy, for a year had to have a Fathead of his buddy in boxers, a giant life-size Fathead above his bed.Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 13 Dec. 2024
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The cub was also hairless and found in poor condition.Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The movie’s protagonist, Frida (Naomi Ackie), is a broke cater waiter and nail artist who sneaks into the VIP section of an event she’s been working, only to trip on her heels and fall flat on her face.Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 6 Dec. 2024
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Cuban himself ran side hustles, got fired from multiple jobs and nearly went broke on his path to becoming a billionaire.Megan Sauer, CNBC, 3 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near destitute
Cite this Entry
“Destitute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destitute. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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