poor
gb/pˈʊɹ/ us/pˈʊɹ/
A2
Inglese
~ 700
Accezioni
0 accezioni
adjective
A2
property
1
Having little or no money
Having little or no money to buy the things you need.
Schema d'uso:
[someone] is poor
Errore comune:
Learners sometimes confuse 'poor' meaning 'having little money' with 'poor' meaning 'bad quality'. Context is important.
Sinonimi
impoverished (More formal and often used in reports or academic contexts.)
Contrari
wealthy (Describes someone who has a large amount of money or valuable possessions.)
Collocazioni
poor family
|poor people
|poor country
|poor community
Temi
economy
|daily life
|finance
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Esempi
- 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.
Esempi per chi studia
- 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.
Schema d'uso:
poor [quality/performance/service/etc.]
Errore comune:
Learners may incorrectly use 'bad' instead of 'poor' in formal writing where 'poor' is more appropriate.
Sinonimi
substandard (Formal; emphasizes not meeting required standards.)
Contrari
excellent (Indicates a very high quality or standard.)
Collocazioni
poor performance
|poor service
|poor quality
|poor results
Temi
evaluation
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Esempi
- The team's poor performance cost them the game.
- We received poor service at the restaurant.
- Poor lighting made it hard to read.
Esempi per chi studia
- 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.
Schema d'uso:
poor [someone]
Errore comune:
Learners sometimes confuse this with the financial meaning of 'poor'. It is emotional, not economic.
Sinonimi
unfortunate (More formal; focuses on bad luck rather than sympathy.)
Contrari
fortunate (Indicates someone who has good luck or favorable circumstances.)
Collocazioni
poor guy
|poor thing
|poor child
Temi
emotions
|daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Esempi
- 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.
Esempi per chi studia
- 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.
Schema d'uso:
poor in [something]
Sinonimi
deficient (More formal and technical; often used in scientific contexts.)
Contrari
rich (In this context, means containing a lot of a substance or quality.)
Collocazioni
poor in vitamins
|poor soil
|poor memory
Temi
science
|health
|core_vocabulary
Esempi
- This soil is poor in nutrients.
- She has a poor memory for names.
- The diet was poor in protein.
Esempi per chi studia
- The land is poor in water.
- My memory is poor for faces.
- This food is poor in sugar.
Grammatica
Forma base
poor
IPA
GB/pˈʊɹ/
US/pˈʊɹ/
Sillabe e accento
poor (1 sillaba)
Stress on 1st syllable (poor)
Forme flesse
Adjective
- Base: poor
- Comparative: poorer
- Superlative: poorest
Famiglia di parole
Forms
poorer
adjective
poorest
adjective
Advanced or less common
Espressioni
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.
Esempi
- 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.
Esempi
- 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.
Esempi
- 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.
Esempi
- Poor thing, you must be exhausted.
- That poor thing has been out in the rain all day.