penury
PEN-yoo-ree
/ˈpɛnjʊri/
The state of being very poor; extreme poverty; destitution.
A strong, often literary term for the most severe form of poverty, implying a complete lack of money, property, or resources, often to the point of starvation.
The story behind the word. The word 'penury' comes directly from the Latin 'paenuria,' meaning 'want' or 'need.' It entered English in the late 14th century, carrying with it the strong sense of extreme scarcity and destitution. It's a powerful word for the most severe forms of poverty.
Word relationships
- destitution: Similar in intensity, emphasizing a complete lack of necessities.
- indigence: A severe form of poverty, often implying reliance on charity.
- affluence: The state of having a great deal of money; wealth.
- opulence: Great wealth or luxuriousness.
Commonly confused with
- poverty: Penury is a much more severe and absolute form of poverty than 'poverty' itself.
Word family
- penurious (adjective): Extremely poor; characterized by penury; also, extremely stingy.
Collocations
- abject penury
- extreme penury
- live in penury
- reduced to penury
Example sentences
- "Despite his immense talent, the artist lived his final years in abject penury, his works only gaining recognition after his death." Describing the life of a struggling artist.
- "Many families were reduced to penury during the famine, forced to sell their last possessions for a morsel of bread." From a classic novel depicting social conditions.
Memory hook
Think of 'PEN-URY' as 'PENNY-less, no luxury' – a state of having absolutely no money. Penny-less, no luxury
When not to use
Too strong for general financial struggles. Use 'poverty' or 'hardship' for less extreme situations. 'Penury' is for absolute, abject lack.
Fun facts
- The adjective 'penurious' can describe both being extremely poor and being extremely stingy, reflecting a fear of or experience with extreme lack.
Explore more words
deprivation, austerity, parsimonious, ascetic, bleak, scrimp
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.