as in impoverished
lacking money or material possessions
went from being a penniless girl to owner of her own restaurant
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Recent Examples of penniless
About 18 months after finding over a million dollars in gold, they’re left penniless.
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Dina Kaur, The Arizona Republic, 10 Oct. 2024
The series and costumes simultaneously trace Joan’s life from a penniless single mother to a high-class thief that earns her the nickname of The Godmother in London’s criminal underworld.
—Hikmat Mohammed, WWD, 1 Oct. 2024
And this happened after the penniless Abigail was obliged to take an almost three-hundred-mile solo horseback journey to be reunited with her younger children, from whom Asa had arranged to separate her.
—Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2024
In The Luckiest Lady in London, published in 2013, Louisa Cantwell—penniless and prospectless—piques the attention of the most eligible bachelor of the season, Felix Rivendale, Lord Wenworth.
—Meg Zukin, TIME, 1 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for penniless 
Dina Kaur, The Arizona Republic, 10 Oct. 2024
The series and costumes simultaneously trace Joan’s life from a penniless single mother to a high-class thief that earns her the nickname of The Godmother in London’s criminal underworld.
—Hikmat Mohammed, WWD, 1 Oct. 2024
And this happened after the penniless Abigail was obliged to take an almost three-hundred-mile solo horseback journey to be reunited with her younger children, from whom Asa had arranged to separate her.
—Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2024
In The Luckiest Lady in London, published in 2013, Louisa Cantwell—penniless and prospectless—piques the attention of the most eligible bachelor of the season, Felix Rivendale, Lord Wenworth.
—Meg Zukin, TIME, 1 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for penniless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penniless
Adjective
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Such conflicts seem rooted in misunderstanding, leading rap artists – many of whom rose out of impoverished circumstances – fearful over whether adverse publicity can damage their livelihood to (wrongly) lash out.Mosi Reeves, Rolling Stone, 27 Nov. 2024
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The road to an impoverished life is to have everything but with an insatiable craving to be even richer.Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 24 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Others haven’t been as successful, such as quarterback KJ Jefferson, who started the first five games of this season before being benched for poor performance.Matt Murschel, Orlando Sentinel, 1 Dec. 2024
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The proposal has alarmed local groups that say the community has suffered poor health and government neglect for far too long.Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 1 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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In the film, Mickey and Minnie are broke, but still want to get each other a special gift.Melinda Fakuade, Vox, 18 Nov. 2024
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The bullet went through his neck and fractured his spine, broke ribs, and left him with a concussion.Chelsea Bailey, CNN, 2 Nov. 2024
Articles Related to penniless
Thesaurus Entries Near penniless
Cite this Entry
“Penniless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penniless. Accessed 11 Dec. 2024.
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