poor
gb/pˈʊɹ/ us/pˈʊɹ/
A2
English
~ 700
Senses
0 senses
adjective
A2
property
1
Having little or no money
Having little or no money to buy the things you need.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is poor
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'poor' meaning 'having little money' with 'poor' meaning 'bad quality'. Context is important.
Synonyms
impoverished (More formal and often used in reports or academic contexts.)
Antonyms
wealthy (Describes someone who has a large amount of money or valuable possessions.)
Collocations
poor family
|poor people
|poor country
|poor community
Themes
economy
|daily life
|finance
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She grew up in a poor neighborhood on the edge of the city.
- Many poor families struggle to pay for basic necessities.
- The charity aims to help poor children get an education.
Learner examples
- He is poor and needs help.
- Many poor people live in this area.
- She comes from a poor family.
adjective
A2
property
2
Of low quality or standard
Not good in quality, skill, or standard.
Usage pattern:
poor [quality/performance/service/etc.]
Common mistake:
Learners may incorrectly use 'bad' instead of 'poor' in formal writing where 'poor' is more appropriate.
Synonyms
substandard (Formal; emphasizes not meeting required standards.)
Antonyms
excellent (Indicates a very high quality or standard.)
Collocations
poor performance
|poor service
|poor quality
|poor results
Themes
evaluation
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The team's poor performance cost them the game.
- We received poor service at the restaurant.
- Poor lighting made it hard to read.
Learner examples
- The hotel has poor service.
- He gave a poor answer to the question.
- The photo is of poor quality.
adjective
A2
property
3
Deserving sympathy or pity
Used to show you feel sorry for someone because something bad happened to them.
Usage pattern:
poor [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this with the financial meaning of 'poor'. It is emotional, not economic.
Synonyms
unfortunate (More formal; focuses on bad luck rather than sympathy.)
Antonyms
fortunate (Indicates someone who has good luck or favorable circumstances.)
Collocations
poor guy
|poor thing
|poor child
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Poor John, he’s been sick all week.
- You poor thing! That must have been awful.
- Poor kids had to walk home in the rain.
Learner examples
- Poor Anna is very tired.
- You poor boy, you look cold.
- Poor dog, it is very hungry.
adjective
B1
property
4
Lacking a desired quality or amount
Having too little of something important.
Usage pattern:
poor in [something]
Synonyms
deficient (More formal and technical; often used in scientific contexts.)
Antonyms
rich (In this context, means containing a lot of a substance or quality.)
Collocations
poor in vitamins
|poor soil
|poor memory
Themes
science
|health
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- This soil is poor in nutrients.
- She has a poor memory for names.
- The diet was poor in protein.
Learner examples
- The land is poor in water.
- My memory is poor for faces.
- This food is poor in sugar.
Grammar
Dictionary form
poor
IPA
GB/pˈʊɹ/
US/pˈʊɹ/
Syllables & stress
poor (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (poor)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: poor
- Comparative: poorer
- Superlative: poorest
Word family
Forms
poorer
adjective
poorest
adjective
Advanced or less common
Expressions
down-and-out
1/dˈaʊn ˈænd ˈaʊt/
idiom
informal
Person with no money, job, or home
Someone who has no money and no place to live.
Examples
- He ended up down-and-out after losing his job.
- The shelter helps down-and-out individuals get back on their feet.
in poor taste
1/ˈɪn pˈʊɹ tˈeɪst/
fixed phrase
Socially inappropriate or offensive
Not polite or acceptable; likely to offend people.
Examples
- His joke about the accident was in poor taste.
- Wearing that outfit to a funeral would be in poor taste.
poor excuse for [something]
1/pˈʊɹ ɪkskjˈus fɚ sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
Inadequate example of something claimed to be
Something that is not good enough to be what it is supposed to be.
Examples
- That was a poor excuse for an apology.
- This is a poor excuse for a meal.
poor thing
1/pˈʊɹ θˈɪŋ/
fixed phrase
Expression of sympathy or pity
A way to say you feel sorry for someone or something.
Examples
- Poor thing, you must be exhausted.
- That poor thing has been out in the rain all day.