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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of poor
Then-Bruins head coach Pat Burns had little forgiveness for a young Thornton’s poor defensive habits and lack of physicality.
—
Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 2 June 2026
These include poor sleep, inflammation, medication overuse, chronic stress, depression, and anxiety.
—Stephanie Anderson Witmer, Health, 2 June 2026
Reducing false positives and negatives Real-world conditions such as poor lighting, difficult viewing angles, extreme facial expressions, concealment by face masks or sunglasses, and poor image quality can still hamper performance, leading to faulty identification.
—Vijayan Asari, The Conversation, 2 June 2026
Locally heavy rain will quickly reduce visibility and result in ponding of water on roadways, standing water in low lying areas, and minor flooding of creeks, streams, and areas of poor drainage.
—Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for poor
Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 2 June 2026
These include poor sleep, inflammation, medication overuse, chronic stress, depression, and anxiety.
—Stephanie Anderson Witmer, Health, 2 June 2026
Reducing false positives and negatives Real-world conditions such as poor lighting, difficult viewing angles, extreme facial expressions, concealment by face masks or sunglasses, and poor image quality can still hamper performance, leading to faulty identification.
—Vijayan Asari, The Conversation, 2 June 2026
Locally heavy rain will quickly reduce visibility and result in ponding of water on roadways, standing water in low lying areas, and minor flooding of creeks, streams, and areas of poor drainage.
—Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for poor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poor
Adjective
-
CalFresh is the state version of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which sends an average $189 per month to low-income and impoverished Californians for food.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
26 May 2026
-
Rubio said Cuba’s current crisis should be blamed on the military officials behind GAESA, which has ransacked the country’s revenue for their benefit, leaving most Cubans impoverished.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
Buddy was hiding in the bushes on the side of a desolate highway when he was found by a good Samaritan and brought to a rescue.—
Maryanne Dell,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
-
The bleak, desolate masterpiece from 1989’s Pretty Hate Machine was used to great effect in 1995’s Natural Born Killers, the first film soundtrack produced by Reznor.—
Al Shipley,
SPIN,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
Through narrow, treacherous tunnels, some waterlogged and cold enough for wetsuits, others so tight oxygen was scarce, the men navigated 260 meters (approximately 850 feet), from the chamber they’d been trapped in to the cave’s mouth, a distance equivalent to the height of a 78-story building.—
Kocha Olarn,
CNN Money,
31 May 2026
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The outbreak has sickened at least 134 people and killed 18 across Congo and Uganda, with survivors describing harsh symptoms, scarce therapies and fearful neighbors who kept their distance.—
Justin Kabumba,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
What types of answers are unacceptable?—
Prasad Maderamitla,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
-
If a tool creates unacceptable risk, districts should not use it.—
Mercury News Editorial Board,
Mercury News,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
Mayor and Governor are terrible.—
Corky Siemaszko,
NBC news,
28 May 2026
-
From scandals, to corny tactics and platforms, to terrible analysis, this gubernatorial race has been a contest to forget.—
Matt Fleming,
Oc Register,
27 May 2026
Adjective
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Chilling moments like this are the lifeblood of The Dreamed Adventure, the moments that recall the pitiful last days of the dying communist era and the violent, mafia-style economics that whooshed in to replace them.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
22 May 2026
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There’s a mentality problem — that’s highlighted by a pitiful return of just one point out of a possible 24 away from home this season against teams in the top nine.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
16 May 2026
Adjective
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And as for the financial motive that Kouri was broke?—
Natalie Morales,
CBS News,
24 May 2026
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In the 1940s, the company leading the mining operation went broke and filed for bankruptcy, and many residents moved on.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
23 May 2026
Adjective
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The front of their single-story bungalow, though, remained a barren conundrum.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2026
-
Falling leaves or barren branches?—
Austin Meek,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Poor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poor. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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