poorness

noun

Definition of poornessnext
as in poverty
the state of lacking sufficient money or material possessions each country has its own standard of poorness, and one nation's needy inhabitant can be another's fairly well-off citizen

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for poorness
  1. poverty
  2. impoverishment
  3. indigence
  4. penury
Noun
  • Or that Franciscan fathers — members of an order dedicated to lives of poverty and humility — forced tribes to give up their foods, customs and religion in the name of Christ, rewarding them with serfdom.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
  • In recent years, Lampedusa has become Ground Zero of Europe’s migration debate as the continent struggles to police its borders while honoring its legal obligations to welcome refugees fleeing conflict, climate change and poverty.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 July 2026
Definition of poverty
Noun
  • But Burke’s key insight was that stripping civilizations of their beauty and sense of reverence would lead to spiritual impoverishment and, eventually, to terror.
    — Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 23 Mar. 2026
  • Several studies found that the causation element was weak, including one funded by the Department of Health and Human Services that showed that achieving those life milestones, regardless of order, was what was associated with a lower level of impoverishment.
    — Marissa Martinez, NBC news, 5 Feb. 2026
Definition of impoverishment
Noun
  • His legal team also filed a separate motion requesting a public defender be assigned to his case, citing indigence.
    — Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
  • His legal team also filed a separate motion requesting a public defender be assigned to his case, citing indigence.
    — Jessica Sager, People.com, 8 Mar. 2025
Definition of indigence
Noun
  • Trump has squeezed tight on the island’s already ailing economy, with a de facto blockade on the importation of oil bringing Cuba to virtual penury.
    — Niall Stanage, The Hill, 20 May 2026
  • Such claims of penury, however, were difficult to square with certain facts.
    — Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Definition of penury
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.

Browse Nearby Words

poor-mouths
poorness
poor-spirited
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Poorness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poorness. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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