Impoverished
/ɪmˈpɒvərɪʃt/
Definitions
2 meaningsReduced to poverty; deprived of strength, vitality, or resources.
/ɪmˈpɒvərɪʃt/
Lacking resources; poor
The impoverished farmers could not afford to buy seeds for the next season.
💡 Simply: Imagine a family that doesn't have enough money for food, clothes, or a place to live. They're impoverished, meaning they are very, very poor. Like, they are missing the basic things they need to survive. This can be a sad situation, like when we see an old person with nothing to live on, we can say that the person is impoverished.
👶 For kids: When you don't have much money or not enough to eat, you are impoverished.
More Examples
The economic crisis left many families impoverished.
The region was once rich, but centuries of war impoverished the land.
How It's Used
"The impoverished community struggled to provide basic necessities for its residents."
"The impoverished soil resulted in low crop yields."
Having had its quality, strength, or vitality diminished or depleted.
/ɪmˈpɒvərɪʃt/
Weakened or depleted of quality.
The constant deforestation impoverished the ecosystem.
💡 Simply: Imagine your favorite food. Now, imagine it's missing all the good stuff, like a sandwich without any filling or a drink with no flavour! Well, you can say this food is impoverished. The food has lost all the good parts.
👶 For kids: When something is not as good as it used to be, like if a plant has lost its power, it is impoverished.
More Examples
His impoverished imagination prevented him from writing a compelling story.
Years of neglect had left the museum's collection impoverished.
How It's Used
"The constant use of the land impoverished the soil."
"Her writing, once vibrant, was now impoverished by years of writer's block."
Synonyms
Idioms & expressions
impoverish someone's life
To make someone's life worse by taking away things they need or value.
"The loss of her job impoverished her life significantly."
From Middle English *empoverisshed*, past participle of *empoverissen*, from Old French *empoveriss-* (stem of *empoverir*), from *en-* (in) + *poverir* (to impoverish), from Latin *pauper* (poor).
The word's use has remained relatively consistent over time, reflecting concerns about poverty and resource depletion.
Memory tip
Think of someone who *impoverishes* themselves by spending all their money recklessly. They're now *impoverished*.
Practice
Word Origin
Root: pauper