DictionaryAI

poor

PUUR/pʊɹ/AUSPAW/poː/

Adjectivepoorer, poorest

Noun pluralpoors

11 meanings of poor

Practice

  1. 1
    adjective
    Having little or no money or property, especially compared with others in the same society who have more.

    After losing his job, he was so poor that he could barely afford groceries.

    Poor families in the region often go without reliable electricity.

    Similarbroke, needy, penniless, impoverished, destitute

    Oppositerich, wealthy

    Note

    The measure is relative: one is poor beside neighbors who have more. The superlative can circle back on the noun, as in the poorest of the poor.

  2. 2
    low qualityadjective
    Not good enough in quality, amount, or degree; falling short of an acceptable standard.

    The restaurant got poor reviews for its slow, careless service.

    Workers complained about the poor materials used in the building.

    UsageA person is poor at something, such as spelling; people are in poor health, things in poor condition.

    Similarbad, inferior, substandard, inadequate, shoddy

    Oppositegood, excellent, superior

  3. 3
    deserving pityadjectivebefore a noun
    Deserving of pity, sympathy, or compassion.

    The poor man had lost everything he owned in the fire.

    She gave the poor stray a warm place to sleep for the night.

    UsageFor pity it comes before the noun: poor Sarah, you poor thing; she is poor means she has little money.

    Similarpitiable

    Oppositelucky, fortunate

    Note

    Pity in this sense sits only before the noun: you poor thing, this poor little puppy, or Mr. Campion's sighing "Poor man" in Margery Allingham's The China Governess (1962). Paired with a noun, it often stands alone as a small exclamation of fellow feeling.

    Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

    • Mr. Campion sighs and says 'Poor man' in The China Governess. fadedpage.com
    • Margery Allingham wrote The China Governess. fadedpage.com
  4. 4
    nounplural
    The members of a society who have little money or property, taken collectively as a class.

    Rising food prices hit the poor hardest of all.

    The new policy aimed to lift the poor out of long-term debt.

    UsageTakes are: the poor are hit hardest (not incorrect: the poor is); for one person, say a poor person.

    Similarunderprivileged

    Oppositerich, wealthy, affluent

    Note

    Here the adjective stands as a noun for a whole class. It names the class rather than single people, and that sets it apart from the countable "a poor". Its pedigree runs from the King James Bible's "giuen to the poore" to Lyndon Johnson's The Vantage Point.

    Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

  5. 5
    low inadjective
    Lacking or deficient in a specified quality or element.

    The ore proved poor in copper and was not worth mining.

    Foods poor in fiber can contribute to digestive problems.

    UsageFollowed by in: poor in iron, poor in fiber; the opposite is rich in.

    Similardeficient, low, lacking

    Oppositerich

    Note

    The deficiency is named by a following in-phrase: poor in iron, poor in copper, poor in fiber. Without that phrase, the word slides back toward the low-quality meaning. Its mirror is rich, which takes the same construction, so a food can be poor in one nutrient and rich in another.

Practice

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Origin

This word came into Middle English as povre from Old French (and Anglo-Norman) povre, poure, which came from Latin pauper. That Latin word goes back to a compound probably meaning 'providing little', built on a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'few, small'. It is a doublet of pauper.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 4 facts

  • Poor entered Middle English as povre from Old French and Anglo-Norman povre, poure, ultimately from Latin pauper. en.wiktionary.org
  • Latin pauper derives from a compound probably meaning 'providing little'. en.wiktionary.org
  • The compound contains a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'few, small'. en.wiktionary.org
  • Poor and pauper are doublets. en.wiktionary.org