adj C1 Advanced Uncommon

impoverished

ihm-POV-rihsht

Impoverished (adj) means Made poor; reduced to poverty. Example: “The war left thousands of families impoverished.”

adj

Made poor; reduced to poverty.

"The war left thousands of families impoverished."

"They grew up in an impoverished neighbourhood with few opportunities."

Lacking something important; depleted or weakened.

"Years of intensive farming left the soil impoverished."

How to use impoverished

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishMade poor, or drained of something valuable (like nutrients, quality, or resources).

Common pairings

impoverished community impoverished soil economically impoverished

Word forms

more impoverished comparative, most impoverished superlative

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The war left thousands of families _____.

Synonyms

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almsless arm badly off bankrupt beggared beggarly boracic broke broken broker than the Ten Commandments depauperate destitute

Antonyms

affluent comfortably off flush loaded pecunious rich wealthy well-fixed

Related words

even power full working level bank poor developed

Rhymes for impoverished

fished famished vanished polished punished finished banished cherished furnished published nourished anguished

See all rhymes for impoverished →

Frequently asked questions

What does “impoverished” mean?

The word “impoverished” means made poor; reduced to poverty. In plain terms, made poor, or drained of something valuable (like nutrients, quality, or resources).

How do you pronounce “impoverished”?

“Impoverished” is pronounced ihm-POV-rihsht (/ɪmˈpɑvəɹɪʃt/ in IPA).

How do you use “impoverished” in a sentence?

Here is “impoverished” used in a sentence: “The war left thousands of families impoverished.”

What is another word for “impoverished”?

Words with a similar meaning to “impoverished” include almsless, arm, badly off, bankrupt, beggared and beggarly.

What is the opposite of “impoverished”?

The opposite of “impoverished” — its antonyms — are affluent, comfortably off, flush, loaded and pecunious.

What part of speech is “impoverished”?

“Impoverished” is an adjective.

Is “impoverished” a common word?

“Impoverished” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the C1 level.

How many meanings does “impoverished” have?

“Impoverished” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: made poor; reduced to poverty.

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