Meaning & Definition of word "Poor"

Poor

/pʊər/

1. a person of low social status or economic standing.
- Example: The charity focused on helping the poor in the inner city.

1. lacking sufficient money to live at a standard considered comfortable or normal in a society.
- Example: Despite working two jobs, she was still considered poor by her community.
2. having little or no wealth; lacking material possessions.
- Example: The village was made up of poor families struggling to make ends meet.
3. of a low quality or standard.
- Example: The poor quality of the materials used in the construction led to significant damage.
4. inferior in ability, quality, or performance.
- Example: He received poor marks on his exam due to a lack of preparation.

Middle English, from Old French 'povre', from Latin 'pauper' meaning 'poor' or 'needy'.

poor as a church mouse:

very poor or impoverished.

poor little rich girl:

a term used to describe someone who is wealthy but feels sorry for themselves.

poor thing:

a term used to express sympathy for someone's unfortunate situation.

poverty:

the state of being extremely poor.

impoverished:

made poor or deprived of strength.

deprivation:

the state of lacking or being devoid of something.

Meaning: Broke

Example Sentence: I can't go out tonight; I'm broke.

Meaning: Scraping by

Example Sentence: I'm just scraping by on my income.

Meaning: Living paycheck to paycheck

Example Sentence: They are living paycheck to paycheck and can’t save any money.