poor as a rat
Synonym of poor as a church mouse.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He has no money and is as poor as a rat.”
“After losing his job and his savings, he found himself as poor as a rat, struggling to pay for basic groceries.”
“Despite his noble family name, he lived in a tiny attic apartment, remaining as poor as a rat while he pursued his artistic ambitions.”
- 01
give a rat's arse
To care a minimum amount; to have or show minimal interest
- 02
have a poor time of it
Synonym of have a rough time of it (especially financially)
- 03
house poor
In financial difficulty because of the excessive cost of owning a house, or because the cost of home ownership forms too high a proportion of household income.
- 04
lab rat
A student or employee who spends a great deal of time working in a laboratory.
- 05
land poor
In a condition of poverty as a result of inability to meet tax payments or other financial requirements for one's land holdings.
- 06
on the floor
[Cockney slang]poor
- 07
poor as a church mouse
Very poor, to the point of starving or begging; utterly destitute.
- 08
poor little rich boy
An unhappy young man from a wealthy background.
Last updated August 10, 2026