Yahoo Web Search

Search results

1. Dictionary

   Im·pov·er·ish

   /imˈpäv(ə)riSH/

   

   verb

   • 1. make (a person or area) poor: "they discourage investment and impoverish their people" Similar make poormake pennilessreduce to penuryreduce to destitutionbring to ruinbring someone to their kneesbankruptruinmake insolventwipe outclean outbreakcripplerare:pauperizebeggarOpposite make wealthy
   • ▪ exhaust the strength or vitality of: "the soil was impoverished by annual burning" Similar weakensapexhaustdrainemptydiminishdepleteenervatesuck dryinformal:bleedOpposite strengthenenrich

   Word Origin late Middle English (formerly also as empoverish): from Old French empoveriss-, lengthened stem of empoverir, based on povre ‘poor’.

   Scrabble Points: 20

   • I

     1

   • M

     3

   • P

     3

   • O

     1

   • V

     4

   • E

     1

   • R

     1

   • I

     1

   • S

     1

   • H

     4

   Powered by Oxford Languages

   More Definitions, Word Origin & ScrabbleShow less