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   Poor

   /po͝or/

   

   adjective

   • 1. lacking sufficient money to live at a standard considered comfortable or normal in a society: "people who were too poor to afford a telephone" Similar poverty-strickenimpoverishednecessitousbeggarlyin penurypenuriousimpecuniousindigentneedyneedfulin need/wantbadly offlow-paidin reduced circumstancesin straitened circumstancesdestitutehard upshort of moneyon one's beam-endsunable to make ends meetunderprivilegeddeprivedpennilesswithout a souas poor as a church mousemoneylessbankruptbustinsolventin debtin the redon the breadlinewithout a penny (to one's name)informal:brokeflat brokecleaned outstrapped for cashstrappedon one's upperswithout two pennies to rub togetherwithout two (brass) farthings to rub togetherstony brokeskintin Queer Streetstone brokecraptasticrare:pauperizedbeggaredOpposite richwealthy
   • ▪ (of a place) inhabited by people without sufficient money: "a poor area with run-down movie theaters and overcrowded schools"
   • 2. worse than is usual, expected, or desirable; of a low or inferior standard or quality: "many people are eating a very poor diet" Similar substandardbelow standardbelow parbaddeficientdefectivefaultyimperfectinferiormediocreabjectappallingabysmalatrociousawfulterribledismaldreadfulunsatisfactorylow-gradesecond-ratethird-ratejerry-builtshoddycrudetinnytrashymiserablewretcheddisappointinglamentabledeplorablepitifulinadequateinsufficientunacceptableexecrablefrightfulinformal:crummydirebumdiabolicalrottensadtattytenth-rateropyduffrubbishrubbishypantsa load of pantsgrottyfarkakteweak saucecraptacularvulgar slang:crapcrappyarchaic:direfulrare:egregiousOpposite superior
   • ▪ deficient or lacking in: "the water is poor in nutrients" Similar deficient inlacking (in)wanting (in)short of/onlow onmissingwith an insufficiency ofwith too few/little …Opposite rich in
   • ▪ used ironically to deprecate something belonging to or offered by oneself: dated "he is, in my poor opinion, a more handsome young man"
   • 3. (of a person) considered to be deserving of pity or sympathy: "they inquired after poor Dorothy's broken hip" Similar unfortunateunluckylucklessunhappyhaplessill-fatedill-starredpitiablepitifulwretchedOpposite lucky

   Word Origin Middle English: from Old French poure, from Latin pauper.

   Scrabble Points: 6

   • P

     3

   • O

     1

   • O

     1

   • R

     1

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