Poor
/pɔːr/
Definitions
4 meaningsLacking sufficient money or means of support; impoverished.
/pɔːr/
Lacking sufficient money to live at a standard considered comfortable or normal in a society.
The family was too poor to afford a proper education for their children.
💡 Simply: Imagine you don't have enough money to buy all the toys you want, or the food you need. That means you're poor. It's like having an empty piggy bank.
👶 For kids: Not having enough money to buy things like food and toys.
More Examples
Many people in developing countries live in poor conditions.
He grew up in a poor neighborhood.
How It's Used
"The report highlighted the growing number of poor families in the region."
"She dedicated her life to helping the poor."
Of a low quality or standard; unsatisfactory.
/pɔːr/
Of a low standard or quality; bad.
The service at the restaurant was poor.
💡 Simply: When something isn't good. Like if the food tastes bad, you'd say it's 'poor'. Or if your drawings aren't the best, they're 'poor' too.
👶 For kids: Not good or not very good.
More Examples
She made a poor decision to invest all her money in that company.
The book was of poor quality and poorly written.
How It's Used
"The team played a poor game and lost badly."
"He received a poor grade on the exam."
Deserving of sympathy or pity; unfortunate.
/pɔːr/
Deserving of sympathy or pity.
The poor old woman couldn't afford to pay her bills.
💡 Simply: When you feel sad or sorry for someone or something. Like, 'Oh, the poor puppy is all alone!' It's about feeling empathy.
👶 For kids: Making you feel sad for someone or something.
More Examples
They felt sorry for the poor animal.
The accident left the family in a poor state.
How It's Used
"The poor creature was suffering from the cold."
"Oh, the poor dog got lost!"
Lacking a particular quality or substance
/pɔːr/
Lacking in something specified
The soil is poor in nutrients.
💡 Simply: When something doesn't have enough of something it should have. For example, 'The water is poor in minerals.' or 'My phone has a poor battery.'
👶 For kids: Not having enough of something.
More Examples
The phone has a poor signal.
Her memory of the event was poor.
How It's Used
"The soil is poor in nutrients."
"The phone has a poor signal."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Idioms & expressions
poor as a church mouse
Extremely poor; destitute.
"After losing his job, he was as poor as a church mouse."
the poor
People who do not have much money.
"The charity helps the poor in the community."
a poor man's...
A cheaper or less extravagant version of something. Commonly used in comparisons
"This is a poor man's yacht"
From Old French "poure" (meaning "poor, needy"), derived from Latin "pauper" (meaning "poor, not wealthy").
The word 'poor' has been used for centuries to describe lack of wealth, low quality and the state of unfortunate people. In early English, it held similar connotations.
Memory tip
Think of a purse with 'o's and 'r's scattered - it's empty = poor!
Word Origin
"pauper (poor, not wealthy)"