Haiti is a nation that seems hopelessly impoverished.
Source: tatoeba (710980)
Impoverished
/ɪmˈpɑvəɹɪʃt/
Synonyms for "impoverished" (230 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (46)
Adjective(14 words)
Adjective(11 words)
Noun(1 words)
Strong matches (69)
dilutedisadvantageddissipateddown at the heeldraineddrydwarfeddwarfisheaten upeffeteemptyempty handedempty-handederodedexhaustedexiguousfamishedfinishedflat brokefleeced
Show 29 more words
Adjective(15 words)
dirt poordisadvantageddown and outdown at heeldown on one's luckdown on one's uppersempty-handedfeeling the pinchflathard upimpecuniousin needindigentinsolventlower-class
Noun(1 words)
Related words (115)
miserlynarrownecessitousneedyniggardlyon reliefon short commonsout at elbowspaltryparsimoniouspauperizedpenuriouspinchedpoorpoverty strickenpoverty-strickenpunyruinedscantscanty
Show 49 more words
scrawnyscrimpscrimpyshortshorthandedskimpskimpyslenderslightslimsmallsordidsparesparingspartanspentstarvationstarvedstarvelingstarvingstingystintedstone-brokestraitenedstrappedstrippedstuntedsubsistencethinunderfedundermannedundernourishedunderprivilegedunfedunnourishingunnutritiousunprosperousunprovidedunreplenishedunsuppliedup against itused upwastedwateredwaterywiped outworn awayworn outworn-out
Adjective(17 words)
narrownecessitousneediestpauperpoorpoor conditionpoor-resourcepoorerpoorestpoverty-strickenrestrictivesterilethe indigentthe needythe poorthe underprivilegedwiped out
Adjective(24 words)
necessitousneedyooflesspauperizedpennilesspenuriouspinchedpok kaipoorpoor as a church mousepoor as a ratpoor as jobpossessionlesspoverty-riddenpoverty-strickenshillinglessskintstone-brokestony-brokestrapped
Show 4 more words
Verb(1 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: destitute, indigent, needy, ablated, abstemious.
- Sentence evidence is available for impoverished, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, wiktionary, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "impoverished".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "impoverished"
Keep "impoverished" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "impoverished" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "impoverished", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "impoverished" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
17 entriescausative verbcognitive domaincommunitydescriptive adjectivedescriptive termeconomic conditionhuman beingintellectual lifepeoplepersonpopulationquality descriptorreduce verbsocial groupsocioeconomic statusstate adjective
Showing 16 of 17 words.
More specific
16 entriesCollocations
18 entriesimpoverish communitiesimpoverish economiesimpoverish householdsimpoverish livelihoodsimpoverish populationsimpoverish resourcesimpoverished areaimpoverished communitiesimpoverished communityimpoverished datasetimpoverished economyimpoverished householdsimpoverished nationsimpoverished populationsimpoverished regionimpoverished regions
Showing 16 of 18 words.
Inflections
4 entriesDerivations
4 entriessimilar
2 entriesSample sentences
12 total sentences available.
For a long time, society was strongly hierarchical and unequal, primarily composed of peasants. The most backward, impoverished segment of the population, they were crushed by the weight of taxes, wars, and famines.
Source: tatoeba (796116)
The war lasting for years impoverished the country.
Source: tatoeba (1275777)
As long as we consider only the growth of goods and ignore the growth of personal and community well-being, we will be impoverished by growth.
Source: tatoeba (6211500)
Showing 4 of 12 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "impoverished"?
Closest matches include destitute, indigent, needy, ablated, abstemious.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "impoverished"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.