What does "poor" mean?
The poor people of a society or the world collectively, the poor class of a society.
Poor
/pʊɚ/ adj, name, noun, verb
adj, name, noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The poor people of a society or the world collectively, the poor class of a society.
- Grammar: poor is listed as adj, name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: abject, abominable, abstemious, against.
- Useful contrasts: beautiful, decent, good.
- Usage evidence: Poor is not the one who has too little, but the one who wants too much.
How to use "poor"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "poor" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "poor" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "poor" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "poor" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "poor" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abject" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "poor", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The poor people of a society or the world collectively, the poor class of a society. plural, plural-only
"...when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? For this ointment might haue bin sold for much, and giuen to the poore. When Iesus vnderstood it, he said vnto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good worke vpon me. For ye haue the poore alwayes with you, but me ye haue not alwayes."
- 2 A poor person. countable
"The poors are at it again."
- 3 people without possessions or wealth (considered as a group) wordnet
- 4 the second-to-last placer in Tycoon plural, plural-only
- 5 Synonym of poor cod. obsolete
Verb
- 1 Synonym of impoverish, to make poor. rare, transitive
"It is very evident that Americans are being ‘poored down’ to suit the world socialist agenda, and to maximize profits for the international corporations."
- 2 To become poor. intransitive, obsolete
"The mone of this realme is born out in gret quantite and the realme puryt of the sammyn."
- 3 To call poor. obsolete
"Miss Lavinia... put in that she didn't want to be ‘poored by pa,’ or anybody else."
Adjective
- 1 With no or few possessions or money, particularly in relation to contemporaries who do have them.
"We were so poor that we couldn't afford shoes."
- 2 Of low quality.
"That was a poor performance."
- 3 Worthy of pity. attributive
"Oh, you poor thing, you're drenched!"
- 4 Deficient in a specified way.
"Cow's milk is poor in iron."
- 5 Inadequate, insufficient.
"I received a poor reward for all my hard work."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Free from self-assertion; not proud or arrogant; meek.
"Blessed are the poor in spirit."
Adjective
- 1 deserving or inciting pity wordnet
- 2 having little money or few possessions wordnet
- 3 lacking in quality or substances wordnet
- 4 characterized by or indicating poverty wordnet
- 5 of insufficient quantity to meet a need wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname
Example
"Poor is not the one who has too little, but the one who wants too much."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "poor"?
Common synonyms include: abject, abominable, abstemious, against, alas, amateurish.
How do you use "poor" in a sentence?
Poor is not the one who has too little, but the one who wants too much.
How do you pronounce "poor"?
Pronounced /pʊɚ/.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English povre, povere, from Old French (and Anglo-Norman) povre, poure, from Latin pauper, from Old Latin *pavo-pars (literally “getting little”), from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂w- (“few, small”). Doublet of pauper. Displaced native arm, wantsome, Middle English unlede (“poor”) (from Old English unlǣde), Middle English unweli, unwely (“poor, unwealthy”) (from Old English un- + weliġ (“well-to-do, prosperous, rich”)).