poor

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Related to poor: House poor, Poor in spirit

poor

needy; penniless; destitute; poverty-stricken

Not to be confused with:

pore – read with attention; a minute orifice as in the skin

pour – rain heavily; send a liquid flowing: pour coffee

poor

(po͝or)

adj. poor·er, poor·est

a. Having insufficient wealth to meet the necessities or comforts of life or to live in a manner considered acceptable in a society.

b. Relating to or characterized by poverty: the poor side of town.

2. Deficient or lacking in a specified resource or quality: an area poor in timber and coal; a diet poor in calcium.

3. Not adequate in quality or quantity; inferior: a poor performance; poor wages.

4. Negative, unfavorable, or disapproving: has a poor opinion of the mayor.

5. Undernourished; lean. Used especially of animals.

6. Humble; meek: "Let the humble ones arise, the poor in heart be glad" (John Greenleaf Whittier).

7. Eliciting or deserving pity; pitiable: couldn't rescue the poor fellow.

n. (used with a pl. verb)

Poor people considered as a group: The urban poor are in need of homes.

[Middle English poure, from Old French povre, from Latin pauper; see pau- in Indo-European roots.]

poor′ness n.

Usage Note: In informal speech poor is sometimes used as an adverb, as in They never played poorer. In formal usage more poorly would be required in this example.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

poor

(pʊə; pɔː)

adj

a. lacking financial or other means of subsistence; needy

b. (as collective noun; preceded by the): the poor.

2. characterized by or indicating poverty: the country had a poor economy.

3. deficient in amount; scanty or inadequate: a poor salary.

4. (when: postpositive, usually foll by in) badly supplied (with resources, materials, etc): a region poor in wild flowers.

5. lacking in quality; inferior

6. giving no pleasure; disappointing or disagreeable: a poor play.

7. (prenominal) deserving of pity; unlucky: poor John is ill again.

8. poor man's something a (cheaper) substitute for something

[C13: from Old French povre, from Latin pauper; see pauper, poverty]

ˈpoorness n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

poor

(pʊər)

adj. -er, -est,
n. adj.

1. having little or no money, goods, or other means of support.

2. Law. dependent upon charity or public support.

3. (of a country, institution, etc.) meagerly supplied or endowed with resources or funds.

4. characterized by or showing poverty.

5. lacking in something specified: a region poor in mineral deposits.

6. faulty or inferior: poor workmanship.

7. deficient in desirable ingredients or qualities: poor soil.

8. lacking in ability or training: a poor cook.

9. wretched; unfortunate: The poor thing has no friends.

10. scanty or meager: poor attendance.

11. humble; modest.

12. the poor, poor persons collectively: aid for the poor.

[1150–1200; Middle English pov(e)re < Old French povre < Latin pauper]

poor′ish, adj.

poor′ness, n.

syn: poor, impecunious, impoverished, penniless refer to those lacking money. poor is the simple word for the condition of lacking the means to obtain the comforts of life: a very poor family. impecunious often suggests that the poverty is a consequence of unwise habits: an impecunious actor. impoverished often implies a former state of greater plenty: the impoverished aristocracy. penniless refers to extreme poverty; it means entirely without money: The widow was left penniless.

poor

cacography - Bad handwriting or poor spelling.
illegible, unreadable - Illegible refers to bad handwriting, while unreadable refers to poor writing.
heterography, inorthography - Incorrect or poor spelling is heterography or inorthography.
penurious - A synonym for "poor, in need."

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	poor - people without possessions or wealth (considered as a group); "the urban poor need assistance" poor people plural, plural form - the form of a word that is used to denote more than one people - (plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively; "old people"; "there were at least 200 people in the audience" homeless - poor people who unfortunately do not have a home to live in; "the homeless became a problem in the large cities" needy - needy people collectively; "they try to help the needy" rich, rich people - people who have possessions and wealth (considered as a group); "only the very rich benefit from this legislation"
Adj.	1.	poor - deserving or inciting pity; "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 distorted limbs"; "a wretched life" misfortunate, pathetic, piteous, hapless, miserable, pitiable, pitiful, wretched unfortunate - not favored by fortune; marked or accompanied by or resulting in ill fortune; "an unfortunate turn of events"; "an unfortunate decision"; "unfortunate investments"; "an unfortunate night for all concerned"
	2.	poor - having little money or few possessions; "deplored the gap between rich and poor countries"; "the proverbial poor artist living in a garret" underprivileged - lacking the rights and advantages of other members of society rich - possessing material wealth; "her father is extremely rich"; "many fond hopes are pinned on rich uncles"
	3.	poor - characterized by or indicating poverty; "the country had a poor economy"; "they lived in the poor section of town" rich - suggestive of or characterized by great expense; "a rich display"
	4.	poor - lacking in specific resources, qualities or substances; "a poor land"; "the area was poor in timber and coal"; "food poor in nutritive value" rich - having an abundant supply of desirable qualities or substances (especially natural resources); "blessed with a land rich in minerals"; "rich in ideas"; "rich with cultural interest"
	5.	poor - not sufficient to meet a need; "an inadequate income"; "a poor salary"; "money is short"; "on short rations"; "food is in short supply"; "short on experience" inadequate, short insufficient, deficient - of a quantity not able to fulfill a need or requirement; "insufficient funds"
	6.	poor - unsatisfactory; "a poor light for reading"; "poor morale"; "expectations were poor" bad - having undesirable or negative qualities; "a bad report card"; "his sloppy appearance made a bad impression"; "a bad little boy"; "clothes in bad shape"; "a bad cut"; "bad luck"; "the news was very bad"; "the reviews were bad"; "the pay is bad"; "it was a bad light for reading"; "the movie was a bad choice"

poor

adjective

1. impoverished, broke (informal), badly off, hard up (informal), short, in need, needy, on the rocks, penniless, destitute, poverty-stricken, down and out, skint (Brit. slang), in want, indigent, down at heel, impecunious, dirt-poor (informal), on the breadline, flat broke (informal), penurious, on your uppers, stony-broke (Brit. slang), necessitous, in queer street, without two pennies to rub together (informal), on your beam-ends He was one of thirteen children from a poor family.
impoverished rich, wealthy, prosperous, affluent, well-off, comfortable (informal), well-heeled (informal)

2. unfortunate, pathetic, miserable, unlucky, hapless, pitiful, luckless, wretched, ill-starred, pitiable, ill-fated I feel sorry for that poor child.
unfortunate successful, lucky, fortunate

3. inferior, unsatisfactory, mediocre, second-rate, sorry, weak, pants (informal), rotten (informal), faulty, feeble, worthless, shabby, shoddy, low-grade, below par, substandard, low-rent (informal), crappy (slang), valueless, no great shakes (informal), rubbishy, poxy (slang), piss-poor (slang), chickenshit (U.S. slang), not much cop (Brit. slang), half-pie (N.Z. informal) The wine is very poor. He was a poor actor.
inferior excellent, valuable, superior, first-class, exceptional, satisfactory, first-rate

4. meagre, inadequate, insufficient, reduced, lacking, slight, miserable, pathetic, incomplete, scant, sparse, deficient, skimpy, measly, scanty, pitiable, niggardly, straitened, exiguous poor wages and terrible working conditions A poor crop has sent vegetable prices spiralling.
meagre complete, thick, sufficient, adequate, satisfactory, dense, ample, abundant, plentiful

5. unproductive, barren, fruitless, bad, bare, exhausted, depleted, impoverished, sterile, infertile, unfruitful Mix in some planting compost to improve poor soil when you dig.
unproductive yielding, productive, fertile, fruitful, teeming

Quotations
"The poor man is happy; he expects no change for the worse" [Demetrius]
"The poor always ye have with you" Bible: St. John
"Poor and content is rich and rich enough" [William Shakespeare Othello]

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

poor

adjective

1. Having little or no money or wealth:

beggarly, destitute, down-and-out, impecunious, impoverished, indigent, necessitous, needy, penniless, penurious, poverty-stricken.

Informal: broke, strapped.

Idioms: hard up, on one's uppers.

2. Below a standard of quality:

bad, bum, unsatisfactory.

Idioms: below par, not up to scratch.

3. Of decidedly inferior quality:

base, cheap, lousy, miserable, paltry, rotten, shoddy, sleazy, trashy.

Informal: cheesy.

Slang: crummy, schlocky.

4. Conspicuously deficient in quantity, fullness, or extent:

exiguous, meager, puny, scant, scanty, skimpy, spare, sparse, stingy, thin.

Slang: measly.

5. Arousing or deserving pity:

pathetic, piteous, pitiable, pitiful, rueful, ruthful.

Translations

Spanish / Español

Select a language:

pobre malo escaso

poor

[pʊəʳ]

A. ADJ (poorer (compar) (poorest (superl)))

1. (= not rich) [person, family, country] → pobre
a poor woman → una mujer pobre
a poor man → un pobre
poor people → gente f pobre, personas fpl pobres
pewter was the poor man's silver → el peltre era la plata de los pobres
they thought that cinema was a or the poor relation of theatre → pensaban que el cine era el pariente pobre del teatro
to be the poorer (for sth) the nation is the poorer for her death → la nación ha sufrido una gran pérdida con su muerte
it left me £5 the poorer → me dejó con 5 libras de menos
to be as poor as a church mouse → ser más pobre que las ratas

2. (= inferior, bad) [goods, service] → malo, de mala calidad
the wine was poor → el vino era malo or de mala calidad
Britain's poor economic performance → el bajo rendimiento económico obtenido por Gran Bretaña
she has a very poor attendance record → su expediente es muy malo en lo que a asistencia se refiere
they had made a poor job of it → habían hecho una chapuza
to be a poor imitation of sth → ser una burda or pobre imitación de algo
his decision shows poor judgment → su decisión denota poco juicio
to have a poor opinion of sb → tener un concepto poco favorable de algn
to come a poor second (to sth/sb) he came a poor second in the final race → quedó el segundo en la carrera final, a bastante distancia del primero
his family comes a poor second to his career → su familia queda relegada a segundo lugar tras su carrera

3. (= deficient) [memory] → malo; [soil] → pobre, estéril; [harvest] → pobre, escaso
I had a poor education → la educación que recibí no fue muy buena
many people eat a poor diet → mucha gente tiene una dieta pobre
"poor" (Scol) (as mark) → deficiente
soils that are poor in zinc → suelos que son pobres en zinc or que tienen bajo contenido en zinc

4. (= untalented) he was a poor actor → era un actor flojo
I'm a poor traveller → lo de viajar no lo llevo muy bien
she was a very poor swimmer → no era buena nadadora
to be poor at maths → no ser muy bueno en matemáticas
we are poor at marketing ourselves → no somos muy buenos a la hora de darnos publicidad

5. (= unfortunate) → pobre
the poor child was hungry → el pobre niño tenía hambre
poor little thing! → ¡pobrecito!, ¡pobre criaturita!
poor (old) you!; you poor (old) thing! → ¡pobrecito!
poor Mary's lost all her money → la pobre María ha perdido todo su dinero
he's very ill, poor chap → está grave el pobre
a poor little rich girl → una pobre niña rica
see also devil A2

B. NPL
the poor → los pobres
the rural/urban poor → los pobres de las zonas rurales/urbanas

C. CPD poor box N → cepillo m de las limosnas
poor law N (Hist) → ley f de asistencia pública
poor white N (US) persona pobre de raza blanca
see also relief A4

POOR

Position of "pobre"
You should generally put pobre after the noun when you mean poor in the sense of "not rich" and before the noun in the sense of "unfortunate": It's a poor area Es una región pobre The poor boy was trembling El pobre chico estaba temblando

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

poor

(puə) adjective

1. having little money or property. She is too poor to buy clothes for the children; the poor nations of the world.pobre

2. not good; of bad quality. His work is very poor; a poor effort.malo; escaso

3. deserving pity. Poor fellow!pobre

ˈpoorness noun

pobreza

ˈpoorly adverb

not well; badly. a poorly written essay.mal

adjective

ill. He is very poorly.pachucho, malo, indispuesto

poor

→ pobre

poor

a. pobre, necesitado-a; deficiente;

in ___ condition → en mala condición, en mal estado.

Mentioned in ?

References in classic literature ?

The same difficulty occurs, should it ever happen that the poor compose a smaller part of the people than the rich, but from their superior abilities acquire the supreme power; for this is what they call an oligarchy; it should seem then that our definition of the different states was not correct: nay, moreover, could any one suppose that the majority of the people were poor, and the minority rich, and then describe the state in this manner, that an oligarchy was a government in which the rich, being few in number, possessed the supreme power, and that a democracy was a state in which the poor, being many in number, possessed it, still there will be another difficulty; for what name shall we give to those states we have been describing?

View in context

Patches of poor rye where com should have been, patches of poor peas and beans, patches of most coarse vegetable substitutes for wheat.

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Poor people are subject to fancies--this is a provision of nature.

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Ah, poor me, poor me, my poor hand shakes like to drop off!

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Proof of this is that, when he saw the poor Marionette being brought in to him, struggling with fear and crying, "I don't want to die!

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Or, to place it in a clearer light, we moderns are to the antients what the poor are to the rich.

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By stealth, there had been there, in the darkness of the night, poor desolated creatures, who stole from their scanty hours' rest, that they might repay to him some of those ministrations of love in which he had always been so abundant.

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He looks askance at the lady who waits in the shop, and ties up the cards again in their envelope of whitey-brown paper, and hands them to the poor widow and Miss Clapp, who had never seen such beautiful things in her life, and had been quite confident that the man must give at least two guineas for the screens.

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The buyers and sellers, too, many of them, looked not much better off than the poor beasts they were bargaining about.

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Poyser's wife may turn her nose up an' forget bygones, but this Dinah Morris, they tell me, 's as poor as iver she was--works at a mill, an's much ado to keep hersen.

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"My poor niece became insane," continued the physician, after a few moment's silence.

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A stranger entering his own poor house at about ten o'clock P.M.

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