Synonyms
Examples of penniless in a Sentence
She was unemployed and penniless.
went from being a penniless girl to owner of her own restaurant
Recent Examples on the Web
But Allie’s wealthy parents disapprove of the penniless, free-spirited Noah, and take drastic measures to sever ties between them.
—
Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2024
But in Chicago, recent busing protocols coupled with gridlock among national political leaders has made for strong dependency on local and state resources to provide essential services for newly arrived, often penniless, migrants: shelter, food and health care.
—Nell Salzman, Chicago Tribune, 28 Jan. 2024
This time, inspiration came from English writer H.G. Wells, whose sci-fi novel The Invisible Man — about a penniless researcher whose experiments in invisibility unlock a sadistic side to his personality — has become one of the all-time genre greats.
—Katie Rife, EW.com, 19 Oct. 2023
Traveling on stateless refugee passports, the couple arrived, penniless, in Zurich.
—Robert D. McFadden, New York Times, 2 Dec. 2023
Although penniless, some have relatives in the diaspora who could be extorted.
—Katharine Houreld, Washington Post, 30 Nov. 2023
Thousands have been returned to Mexican custody after failure to express credible fear, and shipped hundreds of miles away from the border, where most are stuck penniless in unfamiliar Mexican cities, left to contemplate their next moves.
—Lillian Perlmutter, The New Republic, 13 Sep. 2023
For those who have made it to the U.S., some are exhausted and penniless.
—CBS News, 14 May 2023
The big chunks of the easy-to-find gold that had been lolling around in rivers for millenniums were gone after the first years of the Gold Rush, and Marshall himself died penniless.
—Thomas Fuller Jim Wilson, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2023
Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2024
But in Chicago, recent busing protocols coupled with gridlock among national political leaders has made for strong dependency on local and state resources to provide essential services for newly arrived, often penniless, migrants: shelter, food and health care.
—Nell Salzman, Chicago Tribune, 28 Jan. 2024
This time, inspiration came from English writer H.G. Wells, whose sci-fi novel The Invisible Man — about a penniless researcher whose experiments in invisibility unlock a sadistic side to his personality — has become one of the all-time genre greats.
—Katie Rife, EW.com, 19 Oct. 2023
Traveling on stateless refugee passports, the couple arrived, penniless, in Zurich.
—Robert D. McFadden, New York Times, 2 Dec. 2023
Although penniless, some have relatives in the diaspora who could be extorted.
—Katharine Houreld, Washington Post, 30 Nov. 2023
Thousands have been returned to Mexican custody after failure to express credible fear, and shipped hundreds of miles away from the border, where most are stuck penniless in unfamiliar Mexican cities, left to contemplate their next moves.
—Lillian Perlmutter, The New Republic, 13 Sep. 2023
For those who have made it to the U.S., some are exhausted and penniless.
—CBS News, 14 May 2023
The big chunks of the easy-to-find gold that had been lolling around in rivers for millenniums were gone after the first years of the Gold Rush, and Marshall himself died penniless.
—Thomas Fuller Jim Wilson, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'penniless.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of penniless was
in the 14th century
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Dictionary Entries Near penniless
Cite this Entry
“Penniless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/penniless. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
penniless
adjective
pen·ni·less
ˈpen-i-ləs 
ˈpen-ᵊl-əs
: having no money : very poor
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