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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in desolate
producing inferior or only a small amount of vegetation
land that is too poor for farming
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
a pretty poor musician, even for a garage band
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in terrible
of low quality
the poor workmanship of the goods from that store
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in pitiful
deserving of one's pity
aw, the poor kitten hurt its paw
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Try This Instead
Try This InsteadFor
Try This
poor quality
a poor judgment
an unwise judgment
a lousy judgment
a questionable judgment
a horrible judgment
an improper judgment
a poor performance
a weak performance
an unacceptable performance
a negative performance
an inadequate performance
a horrendous performance
a poor condition
a deteriorated condition
a shabby condition
a sub-par condition
a shoddy condition
a pitiful condition
poor nutrition
unbalanced nutrition
improper nutrition
deficient nutrition
unhealthy nutrition
insufficient nutrition
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of poor
Add in cuts to veterans’ benefits, Social Security disability, food assistance (SNAP) and other programs, and the result is clear: Billions in wealth transferred from the middle class and poor to the rich.
—
Darren Soto, Orlando Sentinel, 16 Feb. 2025
The top rating in the Insurance Institute’s assessments is good, followed by acceptable, marginal or poor.
—Tanya Mohn, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2025
His Weekend Update favorite Willie, meanwhile, makes the concept of smiling through the unthinkable uniquely funny, with Thompson's indefatigable charm buoying us as much as poor Willie himself.
—Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 16 Feb. 2025
Or when the teen ensemble devoured poor Jackie in a gory cannibalism feast.
—Jackie Strause, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poor
Darren Soto, Orlando Sentinel, 16 Feb. 2025
The top rating in the Insurance Institute’s assessments is good, followed by acceptable, marginal or poor.
—Tanya Mohn, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2025
His Weekend Update favorite Willie, meanwhile, makes the concept of smiling through the unthinkable uniquely funny, with Thompson's indefatigable charm buoying us as much as poor Willie himself.
—Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 16 Feb. 2025
Or when the teen ensemble devoured poor Jackie in a gory cannibalism feast.
—Jackie Strause, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poor
Adjective
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Numerous aid workers in northern Thailand described widespread panic and confusion following the sudden suspension of aid, especially among those whose work provides life-saving services to some of the world’s most vulnerable and impoverished people on both sides of the border.—
Ivan Watson,
CNN,
11 Feb. 2025
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Meanwhile, the sight of an unelected billionaire dismantling an agency that was set up to help the impoverished is already undermining faith in U.S. democracy.—
John Cassidy,
The New Yorker,
8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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In video after video, young people complained about missing their high school graduations and senior proms, of the desolate college campuses that welcomed them and the increasingly precarious economy that waited for them on the other side.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
14 Feb. 2025
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The work follows two soldiers from opposing nations who are stationed at a shared barrack on a desolate border.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Track position is everything on a circuit as unforgiving as Monaco, where overtaking opportunities are scarce.—
Kanzah Maktoum,
Forbes,
20 Feb. 2025
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Inventory space is scarce, so this is really a last resort, as most of Lucy’s backpack should be filled with food and water.—
Issy van der Velde,
Rolling Stone,
20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Without any supporting facts alleging, political impropriety, unacceptable public safety threats, national security concerns, and the potential failure of not executing federal immigration initiatives and policies, all of which will have an impact on Adams’ ability to govern NYC.—
Arnold Kriss,
New York Daily News,
18 Feb. 2025
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Many of them will likely be seen in Kyiv as unacceptable.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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This is, on paper, a terrible idea for all involved.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
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Until its proves otherwise, Miami sits mediocre at ninth-best in the 16-team AFC -- not terrible, surely not the dregs ... but not a contender.—
Greg Cote,
Miami Herald,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Kubrick’s film is a hell of a black comedy that satirizes the mediocrity of middle-class life: In the director’s world, fathers are pitiful providers, mothers are blandly cheerful (while quietly suffering enormously), and the kids see far more than their parents do.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
21 Feb. 2025
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The result was a pitiful offensive performance by Kansas City and one of the worst games of Mahomes’ career.—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC News,
10 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Perhaps part of the problem was the downer premise: a broke Phyllis moves in with her San Francisco in-laws and struggles to find a job following the death of her dermatologist husband.—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
21 Dec. 2024
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Show creator Natasha Rothwell plays Mel, a broke JFK airport employee who has never been in love.—
Jennifer Zhan,
Vulture,
5 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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In her first Cowboy Carter teaser during the 2024 Super Bowl, Bey is seen driving a taxi through a barren landscape.—
Rania Aniftos,
Billboard,
19 Feb. 2025
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Is there something about the needy Anja and her ragged child that the barren Isabell responds to?—
Alissa Simon,
Variety,
16 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to poor
Cite this Entry
“Poor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poor. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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