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poor

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The definition of poor is having little money or belongings, or lacking something.

(adjective)

An example of poor is living below the poverty line.
An example of poor used as an adjective is the phrase poor communication skills which means that a person cannot communicate well with others.

Poor is defined as people with little to no money or belongings.

(noun)

An example of the poor is everyone who lives in poverty.

See poor in Webster's New World College Dictionary

adjective

1. lacking material possessions; having little or no means to support oneself; needy; impoverished
2. indicating or characterized by poverty
lacking in some quality or thing; specif.,
1. lacking abundance; scanty; inadequate: poor crops
2. lacking productivity; barren; sterile: poor soil
3. lacking nourishment; feeble; emaciated: a poor body
4. lacking excellence or worth; below average, inferior, bad, etc. or paltry, mean, insignificant, etc.
5. lacking good moral or mental qualities; mean-spirited; contemptible
6. lacking pleasure, comfort, or satisfaction: to have a poor time
7. lacking skill
worthy of pity; unfortunate

Origin: ME pore < OFr povre < L pauper, poor < IE base *pōu-, small > few, foal

Related Forms:

poorness noun

See poor in American Heritage Dictionary 4

adjective poor·er, poor·est

Having little or no wealth and few or no possessions.
Lacking in a specified resource or quality: an area poor in timber and coal; a diet poor in calcium.
Not adequate in quality; inferior: a poor performance.
a. Lacking in value; insufficient: poor wages.
b. Lacking in quantity: poor attendance.
Lacking fertility: poor soil.
Undernourished; lean.
Humble: a poor spirit.
Eliciting or deserving pity; pitiable: couldn't rescue the poor fellow.

noun (used with a pl. verb)

People with little or no wealth and possessions considered as a group: The urban poor are in need of homes.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English poure

Origin: , from Old French povre

Origin: , from Latin pauper; see pau-¹ in Indo-European roots

Related Forms:

poorˈness noun

Usage Note: In informal speech poor is sometimes used as an adverb, as in They never played poorer. In formal usage more poorly would be required in this example.

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