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as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard a pretty poor musician, even for a garage band

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

5
6

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poor quality
lousy quality
inadequate quality
low quality
terrible quality
awful 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

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of poor Basically that poor enforcement had bred serious disrespect for the law, or at least a misunderstanding of it. Tax Notes Staff, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024 Something begins in disrepair, disarray, poor shape. Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024 Russia has sent two prototypes of its latest fighter jet in service, the stealth Su-57, to China for an airshow, where they were reportedly mocked for their poor workmanship and conditions. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024 Materials was weak due to a more than 20% selloff in shares of Celanese after the company gave a poor outlook. Jeff Marks, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for poor 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poor
Adjective
  • Unfortunately, in recent years, Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) has embraced and promoted an impoverished worldview regarding gender and sexuality.
    Enquirer staff, The Enquirer, 29 Oct. 2024
  • On an international level, too..., one country’s climate response can easily leave another country impoverished, either through neglect, foolishness or outright malevolence.
    Saima S. Iqbal, Scientific American, 24 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • Tesla’s version similarly depicts a man in a duster coat looking out over a desolate, orange cityscape.
    Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2024
  • The rolling hills of Laikipia, located on the equator, give way to the vast, desolate sand dunes of the Suguta Valley below, before lakes flooded with flamingos come into view.
    Shaun Stanley, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Though photos are scarce, online listings show a sunken living room sporting a wet bar and a double-sided fireplace that steps up to an adjacent dining area.
    Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 20 Nov. 2024
  • Several told ProPublica that cybersecurity contract opportunities are now scarce.
    Renee Dudley, ProPublica, 15 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Not holding my breath for Mike Johnson or Elise Stefanik to state the obvious that this is unacceptable, dangerous, & shameful.
    Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024
  • An American president who thinks strategically would likely conclude that the risks and costs associated with tariffs-as-a-tactic would be remarkably high, if not unacceptable.
    Samuel Gregg, National Review, 1 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Meanwhile Kelly Oubre, who was terrible with the Warriors, has found success with Philadelphia.
    Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024
  • Elsbeth and Kaya are suspicious of Roselyn, even after Valentina’s quick assessment — supported by the medical examiner — that Claude’s death was a terrible accident.
    Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, nearly one-third of election offices don’t have any full-time staff, wages are pitiful, and turnover rates grew from 28 percent in 2004—already high—to nearly 39 percent in 2022.
    Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 25 Oct. 2024
  • The plight of Zimbabwe, moreover, remains pitiful, a once prosperous country not only reduced to economic ruin but also trapped in a culture of corruption and violence that Mugabe fostered since gaining power in 1980 and that is now deeply embedded among the ruling elite.
    Martin Meredith, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2018
Adjective
  • The Pogues are broke, homeless, and once again being chased by killers, so sounds like the perfect time to put all their focus into yet another treasure hunt.
    Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 3 Nov. 2024
  • The film revolves around two broke women, Gwen (Westervelt) and James (Amanda) in their thirties who embark on a mission to collect money from failing, wannabe artists with the hopes of raising enough to buy an expensive gift for a baby shower thrown for Gwen’s sister.
    Emiliana Betancourt, Variety, 14 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • Striking images from the Sahara Desert show large lakes etched into rolling sand dunes after one of the most arid, barren places in the world was hit with its first floods in decades.
    Laura Paddison, CNN, 14 Oct. 2024
  • The result is a barren playa, wide swaths of sand and earth.
    Shaun McKinnon, The Arizona Republic, 28 Oct. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near poor

Cite this Entry

“Poor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poor. Accessed 27 Nov. 2024.

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