POVERTY Synonyms: 74 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'poverty' distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of poverty are destitution , indigence , penury , and want . While all these words mean "the state of one with insufficient resources," poverty may cover a range from extreme want of necessities to an absence of material comforts. // the extreme poverty of the slum dwellers

Q: Where would 'indigence' be a reasonable alternative to 'poverty'?

Although the words indigence and poverty have much in common, indigence implies seriously straitened circumstances. // the indigence of her years as a graduate student

Q: When would 'penury' be a good substitute for 'poverty'?

The words penury and poverty are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, penury suggests a cramping or oppressive lack of money. // a catastrophic illness that condemned them to years of penury

Q: How do 'want' and 'destitution' relate to one another, in the sense of 'poverty'?

Both want and destitution imply extreme poverty that threatens life itself through starvation or exposure. // lived in a perpetual state of want // the widespread destitution in countries beset by famine

poverty

noun

ˈpä-vər-tē

Definition of poverty next

as in misery

the state of lacking sufficient money or material possessions he dreamed of finding a good job and working his way out of poverty and debt

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in shortage

a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number a poverty of information about the new policies

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word poverty distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of poverty are destitution, indigence, penury, and want. While all these words mean "the state of one with insufficient resources," poverty may cover a range from extreme want of necessities to an absence of material comforts.

the extreme poverty of the slum dwellers

Where would indigence be a reasonable alternative to poverty?

Although the words indigence and poverty have much in common, indigence implies seriously straitened circumstances.

the indigence of her years as a graduate student

When would penury be a good substitute for poverty?

The words penury and poverty are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, penury suggests a cramping or oppressive lack of money.

a catastrophic illness that condemned them to years of penury

How do want and destitution relate to one another, in the sense of poverty?

Both want and destitution imply extreme poverty that threatens life itself through starvation or exposure.

lived in a perpetual state of want

the widespread destitution in countries beset by famine

Examples of poverty in a Sentence

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Recent Examples on the Web Some of the elders still remember the days when most Shia were mired in rural poverty, mistreated not just by Lebanon’s other sects but by their own semifeudal overlords. —

Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2024 Background on Regional Insurgencies Southern Philippines, despite its resource wealth, has long struggled with poverty and sporadic violence involving insurgents and outlaws. —

Nina Turner, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024 Women and ‘time poverty’ The reality is that many of us are forced to leave mid-career or stop scaling our businesses because juggling parenting and working full-time is exhausting, stressful and, frankly, impossible. —

Blessing Adesiyan, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2024 Zoom out: The poverty rate decreased from 10.9% to 10.4% from 2022 to 2023, and the share of adults with bachelor's degrees or higher degrees rose to 36.6% from 36.3%, according to the report. —

Alex Golden, Axios, 28 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for poverty

Recent Examples of Synonyms for poverty

Noun

Adults comfort young victims with assurances that bullies are living their glory days in the locker room and have nothing but misery to look forward to.

Judy Berman, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024
The story ends with a description of the misery and desolation that Mishima (the character, and, presumably, the author) has felt, his fundamental aloneness.

Deborah Treisman, The New Yorker, 27 Oct. 2024