poor
(adjective)
LISTEN
Poor means ‘having little or no money.’
- Mary's family was poor when she was a child.
- The rich have many advantages over the poor.
Poor also means ‘below the usual standard’ or ‘inferior.’
- Dan's mother worried about his poor grades in school.
- The poor workmanship of that table makes it very unstable.
Poor also means ‘unfortunate.’
- Our poor dog was lost for several days.
Don't confuse it with
pour: to cause to flow from one container to another. Example: “Please pour the orange juice into glasses.”
Common uses
as poor as a church mouse: extremely poor. Example: “When my grandfather came to America, he was as poor as a church mouse.”
In pop culture
Listen to Eric Clapton and B. B. King singing “Help the Poor.”
There are other meanings of poor.
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