impoverished

adjective

im·​pov·​er·​ished im-ˈpä-v(ə-)risht How to pronounce impoverished (audio)
1
: reduced to poverty : poor
an impoverished family/community
2
: exhausted of richness or fertility
impoverished soils
3
of a fauna or flora : represented by few species or individuals

Examples of impoverished in a Sentence

the widespread hope that the lottery's record-setting jackpot is won by an impoverished family an impoverished field that over the years had been overgrazed
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Eagerly drinking the Kool-Aid is Simone DeWitt (Alcock), a formerly impoverished but deeply ambitious upstart from Buffalo who gets a taste of the lifestyle of the rich and famous as Michaela's uppity assistant. Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 23 May 2025 That could mean removing spending from public school meal programs for impoverished children, removing access to health care to people with developmental disabilities, or cutting Social Security payments to even the deficit. Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025 His father, a Presbyterian minister, was the executive director of the New York City Mission Society, a social-services nonprofit for impoverished children. Dwight Garner, New York Times, 19 May 2025 Moreover, the experience colored his perspective on those impoverished souls who traverse borders in search of a better life. Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 15 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for impoverished

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of impoverished was in 1611

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Impoverished.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impoverished. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on impoverished

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!