penniless

adjective

pen·​ni·​less ˈpe-ni-ləs How to pronounce penniless (audio)
Synonyms of pennilessnext
: destitute of money

Synonyms of penniless

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Examples of penniless in a Sentence

She was unemployed and penniless. went from being a penniless girl to owner of her own restaurant
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The show followed a wealthy family who became penniless overnight after falling victim to fraud. — Todd Spangler, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026 Gone are the days of the penniless college athletes, so too is the level of desperation prospects felt to make the jump to the pros as quickly as possible. — Mike Jones, New York Times, 18 Mar. 2026 Wealthy lifelong bachelor Don Pasquale plans to marry not out of love, but to stick it to his nephew, Ernesto, who is in love with a penniless widow. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2026 Alexander was, at this point, nearly penniless, moving from her large home to a one-room apartment in 1986 and taking a job at a local retirement home. — Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 4 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for penniless

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of penniless was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

pennied
penniless
pennilessly
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Cite this Entry

“Penniless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/penniless. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

penniless

adjective
pen·​ni·​less ˈpen-i-ləs How to pronounce penniless (audio)
ˈpen-ᵊl-əs
: having no money : very poor

More from Merriam-Webster on penniless

Nglish: Translation of penniless for Spanish Speakers

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