impoverish — to make someone or something poor or reduce in quality
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to make someone or something poor or reduce in quality
Pronunciation (IPA): /ɪmˈpɑːvərɪʃ/
Example Sentences
- His gambling addiction impoverished his family overnight.
- The CEO's decision to cut education funding will impoverish students' learning experience.
- Too much fast food will impoverish your taste buds and your wallet.
impoverish
VERB[/ɪmˈpɑːvərɪʃ/]
to make someone or something poor or reduce in quality
War and drought impoverish the once-prosperous farming village within a single season.
IM(make) + POVER(poverty) + ISH(verb) — aggressively acting to IM(make) the land fall into deep POVER(poverty), the cruel drought served to completely impoverish the region.
Instead of allowing the small bakery to flourish, the giant mega-mart opened next door just to completely impoverish them and steal their customers.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Old French 'apoveriss-' (stem of 'apoveriss-'), derived from 'a-' (to) + 'povre' (poor), which comes from Latin 'pauper' meaning poor. The word entered English in the 15th century.
Breakdown
im- (in, into) + poor (from Latin 'pauper') + -ish (to make, cause to be) = impoverish
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“His gambling addiction impoverished his family overnight.”
“The CEO's decision to cut education funding will impoverish students' learning experience.”
“Too much fast food will impoverish your taste buds and your wallet.”
“Social media can impoverish real human connections.”
📚Related Words
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