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Meaning of poor in English
Pronunciation
/pʊr/
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Classifying Adjective
poor
Definitions
1.
moderate to inferior in quality
Examples
« they improved the quality from mediocre to above average »
« he would make a poor spy »
Synonyms
inferior
2.
deserving or inciting pity
Examples
« a hapless victim »
« miserable victims of war »
« the shabby room struck her as extraordinarily pathetic- Galsworthy »
« piteous appeals for help »
« pitiable homeless children »
« a pitiful fate »
« Oh, you poor thing »
« his poor d »
Synonyms
unfortunate
3.
low in degree
Examples
« expectations were poor »
Synonyms
low
4.
not sufficient to meet a need
Examples
« an inadequate income »
« a poor salary »
« money is short »
« on short rations »
« food is in short supply »
« short on experience »
Synonyms
insufficient
deficient
5.
unsatisfactory
Examples
« a poor light for reading »
« poor morale »
Synonyms
bad
6.
yielding little by great labor
Examples
« a hardscrabble farm »
« poor soil »
Synonyms
unfruitful
Qualitative Adjective
poor
Etymology
Middle English: from Old French poure, from Latin pauper
Definitions
1.
having little money or few possessions
Examples
« deplored the gap between rich and poor countries »
« the proverbial poor artist living in a garret »
Synonyms
broke
bust
skint
stone-broke
stony-broke
destitute
impoverished
indigent
necessitous
needy
poverty-stricken
hard up
impecunious
in straitened circumstances(p)
penniless
penurious
pinched
moneyless
unprovided for(p)
Antonyms
rich
2.
characterized by or indicating lack of money
Examples
« the country had a poor economy »
Synonyms
beggarly
mean
slummy
Antonyms
rich
3.
badly supplied with desirable qualities or substances
Examples
« a poor land »
« the area was poor in timber and coal »
« food poor in nutritive value »
Synonyms
resourceless
Antonyms
rich