destitute Definition
des·ti·tute (des′tə to̵̅o̅t′, -tyo̵̅o̅t′)
adjective
- not having; being without; lacking (with of) destitute of trees
- lacking the necessities of life; living in complete poverty
- Obsolete abandoned; forsaken
Etymology: ME < L destitutus, pp. of destituere, to forsake, abandon < de-, down, away + statuere, to set, place: see statute
destitute Synonyms
destitute Usage Examples
Preposition: of
- wood: Like those of the Wick river, its banks are totally destitute of wood.
- tree: Charnwood Forest, in the NW. , is now nearly destitute of trees.
Modifying Another Word
- utterly: If the marquis became bankrupt the convent would be utterly destitute.
- wholly: An iron-bound door led into an adjoining cell, or vault, wholly destitute of windows, or any means of admitting light.
- totally: Like those of the Wick river, its banks are totally destitute of wood.
- entirely: The country between the mountain and this Lake, is completely barren, and entirely destitute of game.
- nearly: Charnwood Forest, in the NW. , is now nearly destitute of trees.
- almost: In The Railroad Children, the father is in prison and the family is almost destitute.
Adjective complement with noun phrase
- leave: Consumerism often creates the problem of a false sense of happiness, leaving the consumer destitute of the desire to confront a higher calling.
- make: This Act is making many asylum seekers literally destitute.
Modifies a noun
- seeker: We hear from some of the west's most destitute asylum seekers.
- widow: Joseph died when John was 3 leaving a destitute widow and six children.
- boy: He regularly went out at night into the slum district to find destitute boys to help them.
- child: The smallest contribution for the benefit of these destitute children may be forwarded to Thos.
- woman: Many of the most destitute women in our study fell into one or both of these categories.
- family: The workhouse was a last resort for destitute families.
Used with adjective complement
- leave: When she was left destitute by the death of her husband she went on the stage first in London then touring the country.
- become: Where such person, being casually within such parish, shall become destitute.
- make: The report includes the first survey of people made destitute by Section 55.
- end: At one stage he ended up destitute in a homeless men's hostel.
Browse dictionary entries near destitute
- ‹ destiny
- ‹ destined
- ‹ destine
- ‹ destination
- ‹ desterilize
- ‹ destain
- ‹ destabilize
- ‹ dessiatine
- ‹ dessertspoon
- ‹ dessert
- destitution ›
- destrier ›
- destroy ›
- destroyed ›
- destroyer ›
- destroyer escort ›
- destroying ›
- destroying angel ›
- destruct ›
- destructibility ›

