impoverished — made very poor; having little or no money, possessions, or resources
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: made very poor; having little or no money, possessions, or resources
Pronunciation (IPA): /ɪmˈpɑːvərɪʃt/
Example Sentences
- After spending all his money on lottery tickets, Jake became so impoverished he couldn't even afford ramen noodles.
- The impoverished student survived on free samples from the grocery store for a week.
- Many impoverished regions lack access to basic healthcare and education.
impoverished
ADJECTIVE[/ɪmˈpɑːvərɪʃt/]
made very poor; having little or no money, possessions, or resources
The once-wealthy village was left impoverished after the greedy dictator took all its crops.
The once-rich farm became impoverished after the drought dried up its water and crops.
The small bakery once flourished, but the giant mega-mart left it impoverished by taking all its customers.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word derives from Old French 'empovrir', meaning 'to make poor', which entered English through Middle French. The root 'poor' forms the semantic core, with the prefix 'em-' indicating a causative action (to cause or make something).
Breakdown
em- (in, into; causative prefix) + povr (poor) + -ish (verb-forming suffix) + -ed (past participle suffix), literally 'made poor' or 'reduced to poverty'.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“After spending all his money on lottery tickets, Jake became so impoverished he couldn't even afford ramen noodles.”
“The impoverished student survived on free samples from the grocery store for a week.”
“Many impoverished regions lack access to basic healthcare and education.”
“The economic crisis left thousands of families impoverished overnight.”
📚Related Words
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