dirt-poor

adjective

ˈdərt-ˈpu̇r How to pronounce dirt-poor (audio)
Definition of dirt-poornext
as in impoverished
lacking money or material possessions growing up dirt-poor in the rural South

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example 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 dirt-poor Many readers addressed their fan letters not to the author, Betty Smith, but to her main character, Francie Nolan, a dirt-poor tenement child with big dreams. — Perri Klass, The New Yorker, 30 Dec. 2024 The tough, ingenious (and dirt-poor) Houthis, protected by Yemen’s mountainous interior, fought back with the tenacity of drug-resistant microbes. — Seth Harp, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025 Roberta Ceretto’s grandfather Riccardo moved to Alba in the 1930s from a dirt-poor village in the high Langhe and found work with a local wine producer. — Lee Marshall, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Mar. 2022 Cut to 1981, in a dirt-poor neighbourhood of Santiago de Chile, an adolescent Carlos gets his sneakers stolen by another kid, Clavo. — John Hopewell, Variety, 17 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dirt-poor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dirt-poor
  1. impoverished
  2. poor
Adjective
  • This British drama series follows a woman named Emma over the course of more than six decades of her life, from the 1900s through the 1970s, working her way from impoverished maid to the world’s richest woman.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
  • Known as a Neglected Tropical Disease because of the lack of funding to fight it, schistosomiasis is a serious challenge for impoverished communities.
    — William McCarthy, NPR, 4 July 2026
Definition of impoverished
Adjective
  • Overflowing poor drainage areas in urban areas of northwest Hickory and in the Northlakes area of Caldwell County.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 7 July 2026
  • There was a lot of poor decision-making with this match, on and off the pitch.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
Definition of poor

Browse Nearby Words

dirtiness
dirt-poor
dirty
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dirt-poor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dirt-poor. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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