1
a
: lacking material possessions
b
: of, relating to, or characterized by poverty
2
a
: less than adequate : meager
b
: small in worth
3
: exciting pity
you poor thing
4
6
: barren, unproductive
—used of land
7
8
: lacking a normal or adequate supply of something specified
—often used in combination
oil-poor countries
poorness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of poor in a Sentence
We were too poor to buy new clothes.
The organization helps poor families.
She has a poor vocabulary.
It was a poor attempt at a joke.
He is in poor condition.
She couldn't read the sign because her vision was too poor.
Recent Examples on the Web
China’s commercial interests are also at odds with Beijing’s effort to promote itself as a champion of the world’s poorest nations.
—
Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 21 Apr. 2024
The lack of awareness of retirement issues could translate to poor financial decisions and other problems.
—The Arizona Republic, 21 Apr. 2024
At first glance, topology would seem to be a poor fit for the problem of polling site placement.
—Lyndie Chiou, WIRED, 21 Apr. 2024
The four-page document lays out the timeline of events and specific deficiencies by staff, including ineffective medical treatment and poor documentation.
—Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Apr. 2024
Nuisance flooding of low-lying and/or poor drainage areas may continue for a few hours until the water has had a chance to recede.
—Star-Telegram Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2024
High marks for water quality, which suggests that excess nutrients are low enough to encourage habitat restoration, and good diversity of birds, but poor marks for flood prevention.
—Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press, 20 Apr. 2024
Low- to middle-income countries tend to have poorer waste management infrastructure.
—Kurt Snibbe, Orange County Register, 18 Apr. 2024
Notable examples include community schools in East Oakland and East Los Angeles, areas predominately made up of poor Black and Latino neighborhoods.
—Mathew Miranda, Sacramento Bee, 18 Apr. 2024
Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 21 Apr. 2024
The lack of awareness of retirement issues could translate to poor financial decisions and other problems.
—The Arizona Republic, 21 Apr. 2024
At first glance, topology would seem to be a poor fit for the problem of polling site placement.
—Lyndie Chiou, WIRED, 21 Apr. 2024
The four-page document lays out the timeline of events and specific deficiencies by staff, including ineffective medical treatment and poor documentation.
—Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Apr. 2024
Nuisance flooding of low-lying and/or poor drainage areas may continue for a few hours until the water has had a chance to recede.
—Star-Telegram Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2024
High marks for water quality, which suggests that excess nutrients are low enough to encourage habitat restoration, and good diversity of birds, but poor marks for flood prevention.
—Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press, 20 Apr. 2024
Low- to middle-income countries tend to have poorer waste management infrastructure.
—Kurt Snibbe, Orange County Register, 18 Apr. 2024
Notable examples include community schools in East Oakland and East Los Angeles, areas predominately made up of poor Black and Latino neighborhoods.
—Mathew Miranda, Sacramento Bee, 18 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'poor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Dictionary Entries Near poor
Cite this Entry
“Poor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poor. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
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