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destitute

DES-tih-toot /ˈdɛstɪtjuːt/

adjectiveC1GRESATTOEFLIELTS

formaljournalistic

Completely lacking the basic necessities of life, such as food, water, shelter, and money.

Emphasizes absolute lack of physical resources and extreme helplessness, rather than relative low income.

The story behind the word. From Latin 'destitutus', past participle of 'destituere', meaning 'to abandon' or 'to leave standing alone'. It combines 'de-' (away) with 'statuere' (to place or set). Literally, a destitute person is someone set down away from all support.

Word relationships

penniless: Penniless refers strictly to having no money, whereas destitute implies a lack of all life necessities.
impoverished: Impoverished describes a general state of poverty, while destitute implies extreme, immediate deprivation.

affluent: Affluent means wealthy and having abundant material possessions.

Commonly confused with

indigent: Indigent is often used in legal contexts to denote someone qualifying for free aid, whereas destitute highlights physical deprivation.

Word family

destitution (noun): Extreme poverty; total lack of the means of subsistence.

Collocations

left destitute
destitute of hope
rendered destitute

Example sentences

"The prolonged drought left thousands of farming families completely destitute." Socioeconomic Analysis
"He was left destitute by the collapse of the bank." Classic Literature

Memory hook

Think of being left standing alone in a DESERT, abandoned without food or water. DESERTED and DESTITUTE: left standing alone with nothing.

When not to use

Do not use to describe someone who is merely temporarily short on cash or budgeting tightly.

Fun facts

In 19th-century legal statutes, 'destitute' was a technical term used to categorize individuals entitled to parish aid.