# poor

/ˈpuɹ/ (US) · /pˈɔː/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/poor
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. having little money

adjective · CEFR A1

having very little money or few possessions.

For teachers: lacking sufficient money or possessions to live at a standard considered comfortable or normal in a society.

- The charity provides food and clothing for poor families in the city.
- The government introduced new subsidies to support poor households struggling with the rising costs of heating and electricity.

### 2. low quality

adjective · CEFR A2

not good; of a low standard.

For teachers: of a low standard or inferior quality; lacking in skill or ability.

- He failed the exam because of his poor study habits.
- The bridge was closed indefinitely after engineers discovered it had been constructed with poor materials that were now failing.

### 3. deserving pity

adjective · CEFR B1

used to show you feel sorry for someone.

For teachers: deserving of pity or sympathy; used to express compassion for someone's misfortune.

- That poor dog has been waiting in the rain for hours.
- The poor man lost everything in the fire, leaving him with nothing but the clothes he was wearing at the time.

### 4. lacking something specific

adjective · CEFR B2

not having enough of a particular thing, like nutrients or information.

For teachers: deficient in a specific substance, quality, or ingredient.

- The soil in this area is very poor in minerals, so plants don't grow well.
- The report was criticised for being poor in detail, failing to provide the specific data points required for a thorough analysis.

### 5. people with no money

noun · CEFR B1

people who have very little money, when talked about as a group.

For teachers: a collective noun referring to people who live in poverty. Always used with the definite article 'the'.

- The new law aims to provide better healthcare for the poor.
- The gap between the rich and the poor has widened significantly over the last decade, leading to increased social tension.

## Examples

- The government is introducing new programs to help the poor.
- The charity provides free medical care and warm meals to the poor in the city center.
- Economic policies that focus solely on growth often fail to address the immediate needs of the poor, who remain vulnerable to sudden shifts in the global market.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.