impoverished
Made poor; reduced to poverty; also, deprived of strength, richness, or quality.
Can describe people, areas, or even resources (e.g., impoverished soil). It often implies a process of becoming poor or depleted, rather than just being poor.
Word relationships
- destitute: More extreme, implying a complete lack of resources.
- penurious: Can describe a person living in penury or someone extremely stingy.
- wealthy: Having a great deal of money, possessions, or assets.
- affluent: Having a great deal of money; wealthy.
Commonly confused with
- poor: 'Impoverished' often implies a process or a state resulting from a process, whereas 'poor' is a more general descriptor.
Word family
- impoverish (verb): To make (a person or area) poor.
- impoverishment (noun): The process of making someone poor, or the state of being made poor.
Collocations
- impoverished communities
- impoverished families
- impoverished soil
- economically impoverished
Example sentences
- "Years of conflict had left the region deeply impoverished, with little infrastructure remaining." Describing a region's economic state.
- "The industrial revolution, while creating new wealth, also inadvertently impoverished many traditional artisans." From a historical analysis of social change.
Memory hook
Think of 'IM-POVER-ISHED' as 'I'M POOR, finished' – someone who has been made poor and has little left. I'm poor, finished
When not to use
While it can describe a person, 'poor' or 'low-income' might be preferred in some contexts to avoid a potentially stigmatizing tone. It's often used for large groups or regions.
Fun facts
- The word can also be used metaphorically, such as 'an impoverished vocabulary' or 'an impoverished imagination,' meaning lacking richness or quality.
Explore more words
deprivation, deplete, dilapidated, deteriorate, depletion, marginalized
Also appears in
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