poorpoor /pɔː $ pʊr/ ●●● S1 W1 adjective (comparative poorer, superlative poorest) 
Her family were so poor they couldn’t afford to buy her new clothes. an area where poor people lived one of the poorest countries in the world a poor part of Chicago (=where a lot of poor people live) My grandparents grew up dirt poor (=very poor).desperately/extremely poor Many of the families are desperately poor. b)the poor [plural] people who are poor: It’s the government’s responsibility to help the poor.the rural/urban/working poor tax relief for the working poor2not good not as good as it could be or should be: The soil in this area is very poor. poor rates of pay He blames himself for the team’s poor performance.of poor quality (=not made well or not made of good materials) The jacket was of very poor quality.poor hearing/eyesight/memory Her hearing is poor, so speak fairly loudly.make/do a poor job of doing something The builders did a really poor job of fixing our roof.► see thesaurus at bad3sympathy [only before noun] spoken used to show sympathy for someone because they are so unlucky, unhappy etc: Poor kid, he’s had a rough day. You poor thing, you’ve had a hard time of it, haven’t you? Poor old Ted was sick for weeks.4not good at something not good at doing something: a poor public speakerpoor at He’s poor at sports.5health someone whose health is poor is ill or weak for a long period of time: My parents are both in rather poor health.6poor in something lacking something that is needed: The country is poor in natural resources.7a poor second/third etc the act of finishing a race, competition etc a long way behind the person ahead of you: McLean won easily, and Benson was a poor second.come (in) a poor second/third etc British English The Socialists came a poor second with 26.5% of the vote.8the poor man’s somebody used to say that someone is like a very famous performer, writer etc but is not as good as they are: He was the poor man’s Elvis Presley.9the poor man’s something used to say that something can be used for the same purpose as something else, and is much cheaper: Herring is the poor man’s salmon.10poor relation British English someone or something that is not treated as well as other members of a group or is much less successful than they arepoor of Theatre musicians tend to be the poor relations of the musical profession. → be in bad/poor taste at taste1(6), poorly1COLLOCATIONSadverbsextremely poor· His parents were extremely poor.desperately poor (=so poor that it causes great suffering)· Half the population remains desperately poor.dirt poor American English informal (=extremely poor)· We were dirt poor back then.adjectivesthe rural poor (=poor people who live in the countryside)· Difficult economic conditions have driven millions of the rural poor to cities.the urban poor (=poor people who live in towns and cities)· The condition of the urban poor could no longer be ignored.the working poor (=poor people who have jobs, rather than unemployed people)· These tax-cut proposals are targeted at the working poor.THESAURUSpoor having very little money and not many possessions – used about people or places: · Many families were too poor to pay for education.· poor countrieshard up/broke (also skint British English) [not before noun] informal having very little money, especially for a short period of time. Skint is more informal than the other words: · I’m a bit hard up at the moment· We were so broke we couldn’t afford to go out to the cinema.developing [only before noun] a developing country is poor and has very little industry: · The disease is found mainly in developing countries.· the developing worlddeprived [usually before noun] much poorer than other people in a country, and not having the things that are necessary for a comfortable or happy life – used about people and areas: · The charity works with deprived children in the inner city.· one of the most deprived areas of Londondisadvantaged especially written used about groups of people in society who have much less chance of being successful because they are poor: · An increase in the minimum wage would help the most disadvantaged Americans.needy having very little money, and so needing help – used about groups of people: · More help should be given to needy families.· We offer scholarships for needy students.destitute especially written having no money or possessions and nowhere to live – used when someone is in a very bad situation: · Her family was left destitute after her father died.· destitute refugeesimpoverished formal impoverished people and places are very poor: · out-of-work miners and their impoverished families· The children come from impoverished neighbourhoods.· one of the world’s most impoverished countriespoverty-stricken written extremely poor: · poverty-stricken areas· They were left poverty-stricken.penniless especially literary having no money: · She died penniless.· a penniless studentCOLLOCATIONS CHECKdeprived area/children/homes/backgrounddisadvantaged groups/children/students/backgroundneedy children/students/familiesimpoverished families/areas/countriespoverty-stricken areas/countries/people
WORD ORIGINpoor
Origin:
1100-1200 Old French povre, from Latin pauperEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Poor baby. Come here and let me give you a cuddle.
- a poor math student
- a poor neighborhood
- Attendance at the meeting was poor.
- Elaine comes from a poor family.
- Her chances of recovery are poor.
- Her mother grew up dirt poor among migrant workers in Alabama.
- His memory is poor, so you may need to repeat things.
- I hear poor old Steve broke his ankle.
- Most herbs grow fairly well in dry, poor soil.
- People who live in poor countries have a much lower life expectancy.
- She was born in a poor district of Chicago in 1925.
- Some Democrats believed they lost the election because many poor women didn't turn out to vote.
- The poor girl gets blamed for everything that goes wrong.
- The land around here is poor because of years of intensive farming.
- The Scotts are so poor they can barely afford milk and bread.
- The soil is very poor in minerals and needs some fertilizer.
- These cuts will hit the poorest members of society.
- They were so poor they couldn't afford to buy shoes for their children.
- For the long term, today's crisis is obviously a poor guide.
- I often think of poor Mrs Carrow now.
- In fact poor people have more at stake in preserving the resources they depend on.
- Should children attempt to read in poor light?
- The poor, sick, bereaved, came knocking at the door.
- These examinations are probably a poor instrument for measuring the quality of medical education because they concentrate on factual retention.
- We budgeted an improvement to 1991's poor results in anticipation of a recovery in the economy which never materialised.
THESAURUS
having very little money and not many possessions – used about people or places: · Many families were too poor to pay for education.· poor countries
(also skint British English) [not before noun] informal having very little money, especially for a short period of time. Skint is more informal than the other words: · I’m a bit hard up at the moment· We were so broke we couldn’t afford to go out to the cinema.
[only before noun] a developing country is poor and has very little industry: · The disease is found mainly in developing countries.· the developing world
[usually before noun] much poorer than other people in a country, and not having the things that are necessary for a comfortable or happy life – used about people and areas: · The charity works with deprived children in the inner city.· one of the most deprived areas of London
especially written used about groups of people in society who have much less chance of being successful because they are poor: · An increase in the minimum wage would help the most disadvantaged Americans.
having very little money, and so needing help – used about groups of people: · More help should be given to needy families.· We offer scholarships for needy students.
especially written having no money or possessions and nowhere to live – used when someone is in a very bad situation: · Her family was left destitute after her father died.· destitute refugees
formal impoverished people and places are very poor: · out-of-work miners and their impoverished families· The children come from impoverished neighbourhoods.· one of the world’s most impoverished countries
written extremely poor: · poverty-stricken areas· They were left poverty-stricken.
especially literary having no money: · She died penniless.· a penniless student
Longman Language Activatorhaving very little money · They were so poor they couldn't afford to buy shoes for their children.· She was born in a poor district of Chicago in 1925.· People who live in poor countries have a much lower life expectancy.· These cuts will hit the poorest members of society.· Some Democrats believed they lost the election because many poor women didn't turn out to vote.dirt poor American (=extremely poor) · Her mother grew up dirt poor among migrant workers in Alabama.
having less money than most other people: · She was quite badly off for a while after her husband died.· We were pretty poor, but most of our friends were even worse off.· No matter how badly off we were, we never went to bed hungry.
needy people or people who are in need do not have enough money to buy food, clothes etc, and deserve help: · The fund was established to help needy widows whose husbands had died in the war.· More aid should be given to needy families.· All profits from the concert will go to help children in need.
formal very poor - use this especially about people or places that were not poor in the past: · His family became so impoverished they were forced to sell the farm.· All there was in the region was dry soil and impoverished villages.
written extremely poor, and suffering as a result of this: · At the moment, many poverty-stricken communities are experiencing a shortage of teachers.· His photographs show vividly the lives of poverty-stricken families in the Gorbals area of Glasgow.
especially written having no money or possessions, and often nowhere to live, especially when there seems to be no possibility of improving the situation: · In 1860 Father Murphy set up a home for orphans and destitute children.· The rest of her family all died in a smallpox epidemic, leaving her destitute.
having very little money at the present time informal having little money at the present time and being unable to buy the things that you need: · I'm a little hard up just now -- can I pay you back next week?· She was so hard up that she couldn't afford to heat her apartment.
informal having no money at the moment: · We're always broke at the end of the month.· Lawrence was so broke he had to wear the same suit to work every day.flat broke (=completely broke): · He turned up at my house yesterday, flat broke and hungry.
British spoken having no money at all: · I'm really skint -- you couldn't lend me a few quid could you?· At that time I was skint, and I would have taken any job I could get.
informal to have had bad luck over a long period of time so that you now have very little money: · We bought the necklace from an old man who was down on his luck and in need of a penny or two.
having fewer opportunities in life because of being poor especially written disadvantaged people or groups have less chance of being successful in life because they are poor -- used especially in social or political contexts: · The university has announced plans to increase the number of students from minority and disadvantaged groups.· Quinn argued that an increase in the minimum wage would help the most disadvantaged Americans.
having less money and worse living conditions than other people in a society, and little chance of being successful in life: · Princess Anne has done much to help underprivileged children all over the world.
deprived people are very poor and are not able to find good jobs or get a good education. A deprived area is one in which people are poor and do not have many advantages: · Most mass demonstrations of this type happen in places where people are enormously deprived.· Children growing up in deprived areas are far more likely to turn to crime and drug abuse.· Girls from deprived backgrounds often become pregnant at an early age.
the people in a society who are poor the people in a society who are poor: · The poor always suffer worst in a recession.· It was fairly common in Victorian times for middle-class women to work among the needy in the big industrial cities.· Finding adequate housing for the poor has been one of the city council's priorities.· The technological revolution has failed to improve the lives of poor people in developing countries.
the people in society who are poor and have very few possessions compared to people who have a high income and own property, cars etc: the haves and have-nots: · Society seems to be increasingly divided into the haves (=rich people) and have-nots.
when people have very little money · Charles was shocked by the poverty he saw in India.· Poverty and unemployment are two of the biggest causes of crimedire/abject/grinding etc poverty (=extreme poverty) · Seven out of every 10 Guatemalans live in dire poverty and half cannot read or write.live/grow up/be raised etc in poverty · Old people should not have to live in poverty.the poverty line/level (=the income below which a person or family is officially considered to be very poor and in need of help) · In Louisiana, one person in four lives below the poverty level.
a period when life is difficult because you have little money - use this when you are comparing this to other, better, times: · There were hard times during my childhood when my parents didn't have work, but generally we were happy.fall on hard times (=begin to experience hard times): · Many of the girls were from middle class families who had fallen on hard times.· After the war my father fell on hard times and sank deeply into debt.
an area where poor people live the part near the middle of a city where the buildings are in bad condition and where a lot of poor people live: · the problems of Britain's inner cities
an area of a city where the houses are in very bad condition and the people are very poor and live in dirty, crowded, and unhealthy conditions: · Maria lives with her eight children in a slum outside Montevideo.the slums: · I grew up in the East London slums.
a poor and crowded part of a city, where people live separately from the rest of the population, especially people of one race or from one country. Inner city is now more common than ghetto: · a novel about life in the ghettos of New York· Ottovina lived on the South Side, in the Italian ghetto, and barely spoke any English at all.
a poor country a country that is not rich and does not have much industry or business activity: · Bellamy called on the United States to increase aid to developing nations.· Leaders of developing countries from around the world met in Indonesia to devise ways to improve their economies.
a Third World country or nation is poor and does not have much industry. Third World is used especially in a negative sense when talking about the problems that these countries face: the Third World (=these countries in general): · Most of the population in the Third World is concentrated in large cities.Third World country/nation: · Sometimes I think that England is becoming a Third World country.
products that are badly made or of bad quality poor quality products have been made badly: · Poor quality housing often leads to health problems.be of poor quality: · Investigators believe the bridge collapsed because the concrete was of poor quality.
low-quality products have been made badly: · It's not worth building with low-quality materials just to save money.· The company wants to change its image as a producer of low-cost, low-quality clothes.
made without care or skill: · Her clothes looked cheap and badly made.
cheap furniture, jewellery, clothes etc look unattractive and badly made, and seem to have been produced using low quality materials: · The room was depressing, with dim light and cheap furniture.· Hungry-looking men in cheap suits hung around the streets all day.
badly and cheaply made, using low quality materials: · You have a right to return any shoddy goods you might buy.shoddily made: · Police officials blamed the deaths on the shoddily made apartment building.
inferior products are not as good as other similar ones because they have been cheaply and badly made: · Consumers buy foreign goods because they believe that British-made goods are inferior.· I want the best -- I don't want some inferior model that's going to break down the first time I use it.
not good at doing something not able to do something well, for example a job, sport, or activity: · He's the worst driver I've ever seen.· Critics blame the students' poor test performances on bad teaching.bad at: · I was always really bad at French!bad at doing something: · I'm very bad at remembering people's names.
if you do something badly , you do it carelessly, not skilfully, or you do it in the wrong way: · Adams admitted that he had played badly.· The company had been badly managed from the start.· Lorna speaks Spanish so badly that no one in our class can understand her.
also not much good British especially spoken not able to do something well: not very good at: · I'm afraid I'm not very good at math.· I'm not much good at speeches but I'll do my best.not very good at doing something: · She's not very good at communicating with other people.· He has never been much good at dealing with people.not very well: · "Do you play the piano?" "Yes, but not very well."not very good as: · She's a nice person, but not much good as a boss.
spoken bad at a skill or activity: · I'm no good at tennis.· Cait freely admits that she's no good at anything except singing.no good at doing something: · Leo's no good at lying -- his face always turns red when he's not telling the truth.
not very good, especially not as good as other people who do the same thing: · She's a second-rate singer.· We spent the evening listening to third-rate writers read their poetry in a seedy nightclub.
not having much ability or skill in a particular activity or subject: · This is Boston's weakest team in years.· When managers' leadership skills are poor, productivity suffers.· I wouldn't trust her. She's always been a poor judge of character.weak/poor at science/history etc: · She's weak at mathematics, and this affects her physics results as well.
not bright light that is pale is not bright and has very little colour in it: · I couldn't get to sleep until I saw the first pale light of dawn.· The sunlight through the thick clouds was pale and cool that morning.· The banks of the river are bathed in pale moonlight.
a dim light or lamp is not bright and makes it difficult for you to see - use this about lights inside rooms or buildings, not the light outside: · It was impossible to read by the dim light of the fire.· There was nothing in the room but a table, a chair, and a dim lamp.· Dying embers gave out a dim glow in the hearth.
weak light is not bright, especially when you need it to be brighter, or when it was brighter before: · In the weak light inside the bus Tom couldn't see to read.· the weak glow of the dashboard lights
poor or bad light is not bright enough, so that it is difficult for you to work or see what you are doing: · Reading in poor light is very bad for the eyes.· It was difficult to find our way down the mountain in the mist and bad light.
soft light is not bright, in a way that is pleasant and relaxing: · In the soft evening light Sonya looked ten years younger.· The restaurant has a romantic atmosphere with soft lights and background music.
low lighting is fairly dark, so that a place seems pleasant and relaxing - use this about the light in rooms or buildings, not the light outside: · For our anniversary, let's go to a restaurant with low lights and soft music.· It was a while before Samuel's eyes got used to the low lighting of the intensive care unit.
land where the soil is not good for growing plants soil or land that is poor does not contain many substances that help plants to grow: · Most herbs grow fairly well in dry, poor soil.· The land around here is poor because of years of intensive farming.poor in: · The soil is very poor in minerals and needs some fertilizer.
land that is barren is useless for growing crops on, and is usually dry and empty: · Intense heat had created a completely barren landscape, almost like the moon.· the rocky, barren slopes of the mountain
relating to someone who is so unlucky, so unhappy etc that you feel sorry for them especially spoken use this to talk to or about someone that you feel sorry for: · The poor girl gets blamed for everything that goes wrong.· Poor baby. Come here and let me give you a cuddle.poor old informal: · I hear poor old Steve broke his ankle.
a pitiful person looks or sounds very sad and unlucky and you feel very sorry for them: · John looked pitiful, his whole body weak with exhaustion.· the pitiful cries of an injured puppy· The horses were in a pitiful condition, thin and covered with sores.
someone who is pathetic is someone that you feel sorry for even though you often also have no respect for them: · There is something pathetic about a 40-year-old man who still has his mother do his laundry.· Yang looked at me with a pathetic expression on his face.· We found a small dog sitting outside the back door, looking pathetic.
someone who is wretched is very unhappy or unlucky, so that you feel very sorry for them - used especially in literature: · With a violent drunkard for a husband, he thought, that wretched woman must lead a life of terror.· Billy lay on the bed, wretched and close to tears.
WORD SETSabscess, nounache, verbache, nounacne, nounagoraphobia, nounagoraphobic, nounague, noun-aholic, suffixAIDS, nounailment, nounairsick, adjectivealbino, nounalcoholic, nounalcoholism, nounallergic, adjectiveallergy, nounamnesia, nounamputee, nounanaemia, nounanaemic, adjectiveangina, nounanorexia, nounanorexic, adjectiveantacid, nounanthrax, nounantibody, nounantidepressant, nounantidote, nounantigen, nounantihistamine, nounanti-inflammatory, adjectiveantitoxin, nounapoplectic, adjectiveapoplexy, nounappendicitis, nounarteriosclerosis, nounarthritis, nounaseptic, adjectiveaspirin, nounasthma, nounastigmatism, nounasymptomatic, adjectiveathlete's foot, nounatrophy, verbauto-immune disease, nounAyurvedic medicine, nounbaby blues, nounbacillus, nounbackache, nounbark, verbbattle fatigue, nounBCG, nounbedridden, adjectivebedsore, nounbed-wetting, nounbellyache, nounbenign, adjectiveberiberi, nounbespectacled, adjectivebetter, adjectivebilious, adjectivebinge, verbbiopsy, nounbirthmark, nounbite, verbbite, nounblack and blue, adjectiveBlack Death, the, black eye, nounblackout, nounbleed, verbbleeding, nounblind, verbblister, nounblister, verbblood bank, nounblood donor, nounblood poisoning, nounbloodshot, adjectiveblood transfusion, nounbloody, adjectivebloody, verbblue baby, nounboil, nounbotulism, nounbrain damage, nounbreakdown, nounbronchitis, nounbruise, nounbruise, verbBSE, nounbubonic plague, nounbug, nounbulimia, nounbump, nounbunion, nounbuzz, verbcalloused, adjectivecallus, nouncancer, nouncandida, nouncanker, nouncarbuncle, nouncarcinogen, nouncarcinogenic, adjectivecarcinoma, nouncardiac, adjectivecardiovascular, adjectivecaries, nouncarpal tunnel syndrome, nouncarrier, nouncarry, verbcarsick, adjectivecast, nouncasualty, nouncataract, nouncatarrh, nouncatatonic, adjectivecatching, adjectivecauliflower ear, nouncerebral palsy, nouncertify, verbcervical smear, nounchapped, adjectivecharley horse, nounchemotherapy, nounchesty, adjectivechicken pox, nounchilblains, nounChinese medicine, nouncholera, nounchronic, adjectivecirrhosis, nounCJD, nouncleanse, verbcleft palate, nounclinic, nounclinical, adjectiveclub foot, nouncold, nouncold sore, nouncolic, nouncolitis, nouncollapse, verbcolour-blind, adjectivecoma, nouncommon cold, nouncommon denominator, nouncommunicate, verbcomplaint, nouncomplicate, verbcomplication, nouncompound fracture, nounconcuss, verbconcussion, nouncondition, nouncongenital, adjectivecongested, adjectiveconjunctivitis, nounconstipation, nounconsumption, nounconsumptive, nouncontagion, nouncontagious, adjectivecontinent, adjectivecontract, verbcontusion, nounconvalesce, verbconvulsion, nouncorn, nouncortisone, nouncot death, nouncough, nounCPR, nouncrack-up, nouncramp, nounCreutzfeldt-Jakob disease, nouncrick, nouncrick, verbcripple, nouncripple, verbcross-eyed, adjectivecroup, nouncurable, adjectivecut, nouncyst, nouncystic fibrosis, nouncystitis, noundecompression sickness, noundeep vein thrombosis, noundeformity, noundegenerative, adjectivedehydrate, verbdelirious, adjectivedelirium, noundelusion, noundementia, noundengue fever, noundepression, noundermatitis, noundiabetes, noundiabetic, adjectivediabetic, noundiagnosis, noundialysis, noundiaper rash, noundiarrhoea, noundiphtheria, noundisability, noundisable, verbdisabled, adjectivedischarge, verbdisease, noundisgorge, verbdislocate, verbdisorder, noundissipated, adjectivedissipation, noundistemper, noundistend, verbdizzy, adjectivedoddering, adjectivedoddery, adjectivedonate, verbdonor, noundouble vision, noundoughy, adjectivedown, adverbDown's syndrome, noundrawn, adjectivedressing, noundrinker, noundrunk, adjectivedrunk, noundrunken, adjectivedull, adjectivedumb, adjectiveDVT, noundysentery, noundyslexia, noundyspepsia, noundyspeptic, adjectiveearache, nouneating disorder, nounEbola, nounectopic pregnancy, nouneczema, nounemaciated, adjectiveemasculate, verbembolism, nounemphysema, nounencephalitis, nounendoscope, nounenervate, verbenteritis, nounepidemic, nounepilepsy, nounepileptic, adjectiveepileptic, nounetiology, nounexcruciating, adjectiveexposure, nouneyeless, adjectiveeye strain, nounfail, verbfaint, nounfester, verbfever, nounfever blister, nounfevered, adjectivefeverish, adjectivefirst aid, nounfit, nounflat feet, nounflat-footed, adjectiveflu, nounfood poisoning, nounfoot and mouth disease, nounfracture, verbfracture, nounfrostbite, noungall, noungammy, adjectiveganglion, noungangrene, noungas, noungash, noungastric, adjectivegastritis, noungastroenteritis, nounGerman measles, nounget, verbgingivitis, nounglandular fever, nounglaucoma, noungnarled, adjectivegonorrhea, noungout, noungrand mal, noungraze, verbgraze, noungriping, adjectivegroggy, adjectivegrowing pains, noungrowth, noungush, verbgynaecology, nounhacking cough, nounhaemophilia, nounhaemophiliac, nounhaemorrhage, nounhaemorrhage, verbhaemorrhoids, nounhalitosis, nounhandicap, nounhandicapped, adjectivehangover, nounhard of hearing, adjectiveharelip, nounhay fever, nounheadache, nounhealth, nounheart attack, nounheartburn, nounheart disease, nounheart failure, nounheat exhaustion, nounheat rash, nounheatstroke, nounheave, verbhepatitis, nounhernia, nounherpes, nounHIV, nounhormone replacement therapy, nounhospital, nounhospitalize, verbhot flush, nounhousebound, adjectiveHRT, nounhump, nounhumpback, nounhunchback, nounhungover, adjectivehydrophobia, nounhypertension, nounhypothermia, nounhysterectomy, nounhysteria, nounhysterical, adjectiveillness, nounimmune, adjectiveimmune system, nounimmunity, nounimmunize, verbimmunology, nounimpacted, adjectiveimpediment, nounimpetigo, nounimpotent, adjectiveincision, nounincontinent, adjectiveincubate, verbincurable, adjectiveindigestion, nounindisposed, adjectiveindisposition, nouninfantile, adjectiveinfantile paralysis, nouninfect, verbinfected, adjectiveinfection, nouninfectious, adjectiveinfirmity, nouninflammation, nouninflammatory, adjectiveinfluenza, nouninfusion, nouningrowing, adjectiveinoculate, verbinoperable, adjectiveinsane, adjectiveinsanity, nouninsomnia, nouninsomniac, nouninstability, nounintensive care, nounintravenous, adjectiveinvalid, nouninvalidity, nouninvasive, adjectiveirregular, adjectiveirritable bowel syndrome, nounirritant, nounirritate, verbirritated, adjectiveirritation, noun-ism, suffixisolation, nounjaundice, nounjaundiced, adjectivejet lag, nounknock-kneed, adjectiveknotted, adjectivelaceration, nounlaryngitis, nounlegionnaire's disease, nounleper, nounleprosy, nounlesion, nounleukemia, nounlisp, nounlisteria, nounliverish, adjectivelockjaw, nounlong-sighted, adjectiveloose, adjectivelozenge, nounlumbago, nounlunacy, nounLyme disease, nounmad cow disease, nounmalady, nounmalaise, nounmalaria, nounmalformation, nounmalignancy, nounmalignant, adjectivemalnourished, adjectivemalnutrition, nounmange, nounmangy, adjectivemania, nounmanic, adjectivemanic depression, nounmastitis, nounME, nounmeasles, nounmedicinal, adjectivemegalomania, nounmegalomaniac, nounmelancholia, nounmelancholic, adjectivemelanoma, nounmend, verbmeningitis, nounmentally handicapped, adjectivemigraine, nounmild, adjectivemiscarriage, nounmole, nounmongol, nounmono, nounmononucleosis, nounmorbid, adjectivemorning sickness, nounmoron, nounmotion sickness, nounmotor neurone disease, nounMRI, nounMRSA, nounMS, nounmultiple sclerosis, nounmumps, nounmurmur, nounmusclebound, adjectivemuscular dystrophy, nounmute, adjectivemute, nounmyopia, nounmyopic, adjectivemyxomatosis, nounnarcolepsy, nounnausea, nounnauseate, verbnauseous, adjectivenearsighted, adjectivenervous breakdown, nounnettle rash, nounneuralgia, nounneurosis, nounneurotic, adjectivenosebleed, nounnotifiable, adjectiveNSU, nounobesity, nounoff-colour, adjectiveoperate, verboperation, nounophthalmic, adjectiveophthalmology, noun-osis, suffixosteoarthritis, nounosteopathy, nounosteoporosis, nounoutpatient, nounoverbite, nounpacemaker, nounpaediatrics, nounpale, adjectivepallid, adjectivepallor, nounpalpitate, verbpalpitations, nounpalsy, nounpandemic, nounparalyse, verbparalysed, adjectiveparalysis, nounparalytic, adjectiveparalytic, nounparanoia, nounparaplegia, nounparaplegic, nounparasitic, adjectiveParkinson's disease, nounparoxysm, nounpasty, adjectivepasty-faced, adjectivepathogen, nounpathological, adjectivepathology, nounpeaked, adjectivepeaky, adjectivepellagra, nounpeptic ulcer, nounperforated, adjectiveperiod pain, nounperitonitis, nounpernicious anaemia, nounpersecution complex, nounpestilence, nounpestilential, adjectivepetit mal, nounpharyngitis, nounphlebitis, nounphlegm, noun-phobic, suffixphysiotherapy, nounpigeon-toed, adjectivepins and needles, nounplacebo, nounplague, nounplaque, nounplaster cast, nounpleurisy, nounPMS, nounPMT, nounpneumonia, nounpockmark, nounpockmarked, adjectivepoisoning, nounpolio, nounpolyp, nounpoor, adjectivepost-traumatic stress disorder, nounpremenstrual tension, nounprescribe, verbprescription, nounpreventive medicine, nounprickle, verbprickly heat, nounprognosis, nounprolapse, nounprophylactic, adjectiveprophylactic, nounprophylaxis, nounpsoriasis, nounpsychopath, nounpsychosis, nounpsychosomatic, adjectivepsychotic, adjectivepuffy, adjectivepull, verbpurulent, adjectivepus, nounpustule, nounqueasy, adjectiverabid, adjectiverabies, nounradiation sickness, nounradiography, nounrash, nounraw, adjectivereact, verbreaction, nounreceive, verbrecuperate, verbrecuperative, adjectiveregurgitate, verbrelapse, verbremission, nounrepetitive strain injury, nounresistance, nounrespond, verbretch, verbRhesus factor, nounrheumatic, adjectiverheumatic fever, nounrheumatism, nounrheumatoid arthritis, nounrickets, nounringworm, nounRSI, nounrubella, nounrun-down, adjectiverunny, adjectiverupture, nounsaddle-sore, adjectivesalmonella, nounscab, nounscabby, adjectivescabies, nounscald, verbscald, nounscaly, adjectivescar, nounscar, verbscarlet fever, nounschizophrenia, nounsciatica, nounsclerosis, nounscrape, verbscrape, nounscratch, nounscurvy, nounseasick, adjectiveseizure, nounself-examination, nounsenile, adjectivesenile dementia, nounsenseless, adjectivesepsis, nounseptic, adjectivesepticaemia, nounserum, nounset, verbsexually transmitted disease, nounshell shock, nounshell-shocked, adjectiveshingles, nounshock, nounshort-sighted, adjectivesickle-cell anaemia, nounsickly, adjectivesickness, nounside effect, nounsightless, adjectivesimple fracture, nounsleeping sickness, nounslipped disc, nounsmallpox, nounsnakebite, nounsnow blindness, nounsore, adjectivesore, nounspastic, adjectivespecial needs, nounspecimen, nounspina bifida, nounsprain, verbsputum, nounsquint, verbsquint, nounstammer, nounstarvation, nounstarve, verbSTD, nounstomachache, nounstone, nounstrain, nounstrain, verbstrangulated, adjectivestrep throat, nounstroke, nounsty, nounsuccumb, verbsufferer, nounsunstroke, nounsuperbug, nounsurgical, adjectiveswelling, nounswollen, adjectivesymptom, nounsymptomatic, adjectivesyndrome, nounsyphilis, nounTB, nountear, verbtetanus, nountherapeutic, adjectivetherapy, nounthrombosis, nounthrush, nountic, nountight, adjectivetingle, verbtinnitus, nountipsy, adjectivetonsillitis, nountoothache, nountorment, nountourniquet, nountoxaemia, nountoxic shock syndrome, nountraction, nountransfusion, nountrauma, nountravel sickness, nountreatment, nountremor, nountuberculosis, nountumour, nountunnel vision, nountwinge, nountwitch, nountyphoid, nountyphus, nounulcer, nounulcerate, verbultrasound, noununderweight, adjectiveundressed, adjectiveunhealthy, adjectiveuntreated, adjectivevaccinate, verbvaccine, nounvaricose veins, nounVD, nounvenereal disease, nounverruca, nounvertigo, nounviral, adjectivevirology, nounvirulent, adjectivevomit, verbvomit, nounwart, nounweak, adjectiveweal, nounweep, verbwheeze, verbwheeze, nounwheezy, adjectivewhiplash, nounwhooping cough, nounwind, nounwithered, adjectivewound, nounwrench, verbwriter's cramp, nounyaws, nounyeast infection, nounyellow fever, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYadverbs He was desperately ill with a fever. The Consumers’ Association blames poor hygiene standards. Poor nutrition can cause heart disease in later life. Doctors said Blake’s long-term prognosis is good. Overcrowding and poor sanitation are common problems in prisons. Depression affects people with a poor self-image. Women made a strong showing in the election. The search for survivors was abandoned because of poor visibility.
· His parents were extremely poor.
(=so poor that it causes great suffering)· Half the population remains desperately poor.
American English informal (=extremely poor)· We were dirt poor back then.
adjectives (=poor people who live in the countryside)· Difficult economic conditions have driven millions of the rural poor to cities.
(=poor people who live in towns and cities)· The condition of the urban poor could no longer be ignored.
(=poor people who have jobs, rather than unemployed people)· These tax-cut proposals are targeted at the working poor.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES· A poor appetite may be a sign of illness.
· His poor background prevented him from going to medical college.
· There was poor communication between the air traffic controllers and the aircraft.
· The boy had behavioural problems and suffered from poor concentration.
· The refugees are living in camps in very poor conditions.
He was desperately ill with a fever.· A poor diet affects your skin and hair condition.
(=not enough clear and firm rules)· Problems tend to arise in families where there is poor discipline.
(=where a lot of people are poor/rich)· He lived in one of London’s poorest districts.
(=not very good)· She had a poor education, and left school without qualifications.
· Moles have very poor eyesight.
(=used when something bad happens to someone and you want to show sympathy)· The poor guy was robbed of all his money.
· Why do doctors have such terrible handwriting?
(=with few crops)· A series of poor harvests plunged them into debt.
· He wanted to join the army but his health was too poor.
(=be healthy/unhealthy)· Her parents were elderly and in poor health.
· Poor hearing can affect your social relationships.
The Consumers’ Association blames poor hygiene standards.· The shares turned out to be a poor investment.
(=not good for growing crops)· It is poor land that should never have been farmed.
(=who does not tell believable lies)· You're a rotten liar, Julia. What really happened?
(=not bright enough)· The light was too poor for me to read.
(=used to show sympathy) The poor little thing had hurt its wing.
The poor little thing had hurt its wing.· A student with a poor memory may struggle in school.
· The pay levels have resulted in low morale within the company.
· The high cost of medicines in poor nations prevents many citizens from receiving health care.
Poor nutrition can cause heart disease in later life.· Why is his performance in school so poor?
Doctors said Blake’s long-term prognosis is good.· The magazine is printed on low quality paper.
(=someone who is not good at reading)· All these students had been judged to be poor readers.
· The city doesn’t deserve its bad reputation.
Overcrowding and poor sanitation are common problems in prisons.· It's been a disappointing season for Arsenal.
(=not much self-esteem)
Depression affects people with a poor self-image.· Owls and other predatory birds have a poor sense of smell.
Women made a strong showing in the election.· His sight was quite poor.
· The poor sod's wife left him.
(=not good for growing plants)· If the soil is poor, add manure or compost.
(=used to show pity for someone) The poor old soul had fallen and broken her hip.
The poor old soul had fallen and broken her hip. (=good or bad behaviour in a sport) We try to teach the kids good sportsmanship.
We try to teach the kids good sportsmanship.· The report says the standard of children’s diet in Britain is poor.
· Things got off to a bad start when two people turned up late.
The search for survivors was abandoned because of poor visibility.· Her vision was quite poor and she always wore glasses.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· These days we have dealt very satisfactorily with the problem; we have made the rector as poor as the vicar!· It was as poor here as anything he had experienced in the Borinage.· The poll found 29 percent rated his performance as good, 42 percent as fair and 19 percent as poor.· You are racist, as poor darling Donald was.· We can treat lone parents as poor people, needing means-tested social assistance of some sort - as we do now.· And Thomas Hudson, born as poor as herself and just as upward mobile, was gentility personified, sensibility made flesh.
· The unease is not restricted to the desperately poor, swampy country of 10m people.· But the Valley remained desperately poor, with little possibility of economic expansion or improvement.· Far from being desperately poor peasants, the squatters were clearly city dwellers.· Children, the elderly, the desperately poor.· The prices are still too high to allow more than a small number of people in desperately poor countries to be treated.· It was that bust-up which ruined team morale this season and contributed to Lancashire's desperately poor season.· He remained desperately poor and obstinately proud.· Saint Antoine, south-eastern suburb of Paris, a desperately poor area in the eighteenth century, with many starving unemployed.
· For a very large female patient, or one who has extremely poor balance, a wraparound skirt may be more practical.· The vehicles and major items of equipment of all sorts arrived in extremely poor condition.· The rural areas contained 34 percent of poor families and 19 percent of extremely poor families.· Unfortunately, the prospects for progress beyond an apparent willingness to agree to share responsibility for Hebron are extremely poor.· If gamma shares are not liquid and tradeable, then pricing efficiency will be extremely poor.· Despite all of the highfalutin gadgets, intelligence for the most part was extremely poor.· Unfortunately, governments, aid agencies and the United Nations have an extremely poor record of being able to organise anything.· Her memory is extremely poor and she can not sustain a normal conversation.
· Many people simply don't believe that Gen Pinochet's health is so poor.· Among local community leaders there are differing opinions about why Tucson is so poor.· Were they so poor that they couldn't afford to pay?· I am certain that, in those days, the quality of food was so poor that eating was probably hazardous.· Forest soils are so poor they can't support more than two or three seasons' crops.· Around one third of pensioners are so poor that their basic state pension is topped up with other state benefits.· But aid agencies report tens of thousands families so poor that they need help procuring flour, cooking oil and other basics.· The light may be so poor that I can hardly see anything at all anyway.
· However, these were now too low and my prospects too poor for me to continue along that track.· And the quality of many photographs in the 240-page paperback is too poor to be of any use.· The Morans are too poor to afford cheap shoes.· High-definition television, still getting off the ground, is sharper but still too poor for text.· The family might be too poor to help, or not available due to death or emigration.· Her boyfriend acknowledges the child, named Clifton, but comes from a family too poor to help out.· The others, too poor in pocket or spirit, have children.· For people who were too poor to leave home, it was the only path to higher education.
· Then there was a long drought which produced a very poor harvest.· Since he him-self grew up very poor, he empathizes with other whites who are struggling economically.· The outlook for this patient was very poor.· The Agriculture Department said Monday the wheat crop in 19 states is in poor or very poor condition.· She was starting at zero as she had very poor schooling due to ill health.· It was a very poor neighborhood, old houses, unpaved streets.· The merit of the project in relation to each criterion is assessed in terms of the five classes, ranging from very good to very poor.· In the kitchen, the food continues to be cooked on a charcoal fire, the fuel of the very poor.
NOUN· I try to convince myself that it's conditioning, the poor boy and his fears of success.· A third close friend, Ed Prince, learned early that poor boys whose fathers die young could not succeed at business.· You can be the wealthiest man in Rio, or the poorest boy.· David Copperfield about a poor boy who is mistreated by people that was very sad.· He was a poor boy from Scarborough, who went to Manchester.· The poor boys, innocent boys, the fragile flame of life snuffed out suddenly and so much candle left!· The poor boy has been waiting, so patiently.· The poor boy continued to fight with propriety in these fictions.
· The average shortfall of income beneath the poverty line for poor children has also fallen by 31.7 per cent.· Y., all but accused Clinton of selling out poor children to help ensure his re-election.· Schools with an intake of troubled poor children struggle in the league tables, lose children and lose money.· When Rose was pregnant, Steve threatened to call the poor child after the book's narrator, Ishmael!· But we still spend enough to provide Head Start to only a third of all poor children.· In those days, poor children usually left school when they were thirteen.· In 1877, she opened her first kindergarten for poor children, and eventually she supported thirty-one of them.
· The one living at the hospital was found in a poor condition on the Aycliffe Industrial Estate.· The Agriculture Department said Monday the wheat crop in 19 states is in poor or very poor condition.· Use a heavy-duty solvent-based type instead if the roof surface is in very poor condition.· The vehicles and major items of equipment of all sorts arrived in extremely poor condition.· The long fast during the rut, together with fighting and mating, may leave the male in poor condition for the winter.· Leaving behind low living standards and poor conditions in work and study seems more like rejection than adaptation.· A police spokesman said the stolen car was in poor condition with a broken rear passenger window.· Cattle were emaciated, under nourished and in poor condition.
· What started with high hopes for mutual support among poor countries was confounded by market forces.· Today most of the women in poor countries work the land.· The association lends money to the world's very poorest countries.· Many experts doubt that capital and technology can be created fast enough in poor countries to keep up with the demand.· In many poorer countries they long to send out workers, yet are frustrated through lack of resources.· By these measures, the economic gap between the wealthier countries and the poorer countries is usually diminished.· Many poor countries neglect their national parks.· Campaigners argue that poor countries faced with a health emergency have a right under international trade legislation to buy generic drugs.
· Factors such as stress and a poor diet can affect these hormone levels, worsening the symptoms.· He said that three factors had caused my arteries to be blocked: heredity, poor diet, and lack of exercise.· Eating and drinking: under-eating, over-eating, poor diet in general for whatever reason - choice, ignorance, poverty. 2.· Or should they be blamed on inadequate medical care, poor diet or other environmental factors?· They have a poor diet and look bad, and gradually care less and less about themselves and how others see them.· So a poor diet can eventually have an effect on your hair condition.· A poor diet, with low nutrient snacks can lead to nutritional deficiencies.· All four are still suffering ill-health due to torture, poor diet and insanitary prison conditions.
· What actually happened was that a less doctrinaire magistracy put local taxes up in order to provide bread for poor families.· As is to be expected, approximately 75 percent of the children come from poor families.· The rural areas contained 34 percent of poor families and 19 percent of extremely poor families.· Food be-came more accessible and convenient to all but the poorest families.· The rural areas contained 34 percent of poor families and 19 percent of extremely poor families.· Despite that, he believes the initiative will succeed in helping working poor families.· Meanwhile, visiting relatives from Detroit or Rio will leave enough money to keep a poor family in food for months.· The welfare plan still would end the basic guarantee of money to poor families.
· When I congratulated the poor girl, she almost fainted.· Terrified by the suffering of the poor girl, at the end of his patience and afraid, he abandons her.· She was bored, poor girl.· Some of the poor girls had a bad smell.· The poor girl appeared to have had no idea.· I have something here that might help you find the man who attacked the poor girl.· My oldest daughter, poor girl, swelled up like an elephant.
· He began with his poor health.· Both single people and unhappily married people report poorer health than peo-ple who are happily married or partnered.· There is no doubt that many older people and their carers will look towards their doctors when illness and poor health intervene.· Because of poor health, it was necessary for him to rest several hours a day in his study.· Even during recent years of poor health, his outstanding qualities were riveting charm and mental vitality.· No one should shoot up drugs because addiction, poor health, family disruption, emotional disturbances and death could follow.· The monument, by Barzaghi, was completed when the writer was old and in poor health, as can been seen.· Who could blame a wife, herself elderly and in poor health, for suggesting suicide to her terminally ill husband?
· But the government did a singularly poor job in getting its patient-centred message across.· And really, what was the last poor job of lighting seen on Broadway?· In the second, nervous disorders have no effect on absenteeism, despite the fact that they are caused by poor jobs.· They understand what a poor job many public institutions do.· Women participate in poorer jobs and in the tertiary sectors, areas which have suffered the most from peripheral capitalist development.· He notes that employers identify problems stemming from inappropriate work attitudes or behaviors as the primary cause of poor job performance.· Anya sits in the passenger seat, arms folded across her chest, making a pretty poor job of concealing her impatience.· The poll found 27 percent of women voters think Wilson is doing a poor job, compared with 11 percent of men.
· Her tests for the relation between grammatical structure and context formation similarly show the unschooled Wolof children in a poor light.· The poor light barely reached the chamber's four walls.· The curtains in the flat were drawn, cutting down even the poor light that remained from outside.· Then, having ensured that the match would finish so late, Moin complained about the poor light.· Delgard paused at the top of the stairs, allowing his eyes to adjust to the poor light.· Even if, in the poor light, you did see it, you would dismiss it.· Should children attempt to read in poor light?· He glanced at his watch, bringing it close to his face because of the poor light.
· The poor man was exhausted by the end of the performance and his cardigan looked like a sack!· You are rich and I am a poor man.· In the end I got another doctor to sedate the poor man.· Fortunately, Herbert 92X had shot a good man, a poor man, a family man from the ghetto.· The subscriptions promised on that evening of £13.2s.6d, from a group of largely poor men, were sacrificial.· The poor man had placed a great deal of trust in Robert Schuyler.· His heart - his other lung - both lungs - the poor man was having a haemorrhage.· No captain on the east coast made his men more money, and they were all poor; all poor men.
· They penalise poor people such as my constituent.· It must be noted that the vast majority of poor people in the United States are women and children.· Cant about the free market creating opportunities for poor people is meaningless when wealth calls all the shots.· He also has donated thousands of dollars to poor people in the town for help in paying medical bills.· The effect would be worst on their small projects ... the kind which help poor people the most.· There are many poor people in the world; that in itself is a great injustice.· And it is the race factor, the stereotype that most poor people are black, that holds the entire image together.
· But still these are all proximate causes of poor performance.· Education researchers have traced her poorer performance all the way back to elementary school.· Even when monitoring can be done effectively, disciplining employees for poor performance is itself costly.· Participation in one set of activities was often used to explain poor performance in other activities.· Tony Armstrong, director of corporate affairs at Northern Rock, defended the company's poor performance.· The kind of symptoms; sluggish cars and poor performance.· In addition it is difficult to attribute more errors or a poorer performance wholly to the effects of a body clock.· Worse still, injuries are offered as excuses for poor performances.
· After testing nine such cleaning firms, Which? magazine found many charged high rates for poor quality service.· He had eaten in other rectories and had seen how deeply the poorer quality of meals could affect morale.· Even the food in camp was of poor quality and there was little opportunity for relaxation.· They can not risk using poor quality seed.· You may be asked for a replacement photograph if the one you supply is of poor quality.· Lunchtime drinking that leads to reduced or poor quality work in the afternoons is one example.· Film left lying around the laboratory becomes dusty and scratched, and makes poor quality replicas.· The alternative is a reinforcement of existing job segregation and a poor quality of future employment for both women and men.
· Alternatively they may be subsumed within the department and treated as a poor relation.· In the considered opinion of many experts this poor relation of the industry will probably take 80% of the market by volume.· She moved in this atmosphere not quite as an equal, but not quite as a poor relation, either.· I enquired about poor relations, in case anyone thought they had been done out of all this prosperity.· Pauken, whose late-starting campaign caught people by surprise, has poor relations with Texas elected officials, particularly Gov.· Build quality and sound are as good as I expected, so these guitars are definitely not poor relations.· It was furnished with a certain meanness of equipment that made them feel like poor relations.
· By comparison with this vitality, Chichester made a comparatively poor showing.· In my view, the above-quoted explanations for the poor showing, although valid, are too superficial.· The poor showing of school work experience is striking.· But the alternative - to have him believing her poor showing had been caused by drugs, was equally untenable.· For what a poor showing they had made, the four of them, that afternoon!· I'd make a very poor showing in a court.
· Indeed it is a testimony to the value of computers that these poor souls still continue the struggle with the machine.· There seemed to be a cop for every fan, and only one poor soul tried to make it happen for himself.· Sure, he wouldn't be killed for anything he had on him, the poor soul.· Voters, poor souls, are likely to be confused.· King Robert himself hardly counted, poor soul.· She's just like Sarah, in Liverpool, and that poor soul Betty.· My sister, she was an invalid, died last week, poor soul.· Melody is a poor soul and I feel very sorry for her.
· It also emphasises the need for continuing professional development of science teachers and the poor state of labs and equipment.· Arkansas is a poor state, its deficiencies no measure of its virtue.· The monument itself was in a poor state of repair and suffering the effects of age.· Wiggins is the largest town in Stone County, and one of the poorest regions of the poorest state in the country.· So I cast around for somewhere else and we found this, in a very poor state of repair.· The report he submitted to his superiors accurately reflected the poor state of Volunteer morale and the need for immediate corrective action.· The main half-timbered building now forms part of a farm, and is in a poor state of repair.· In general, the mill is in a poor state of repair.
· The poor things shrivel up in protest.· Getting lost in the part, Miss Bubble in the Tubble set new standards of bimbo excellence, poor thing.· He had had to go out on exercise one night, and was on duty another, poor thing.· Interracial couples were under surveillance wherever the poor things raised their heads anywhere in the city.· Even if they are fictional characters, it doesn't bode well for the poor things.· Ah, she has been shot, poor thing.· My pigeon can't fly, poor thing.· The poor thing lives in Brooklyn.
· The poor woman had given way to a black mood and been swamped by her ugly past, he explained.· Convincing the powers-that-be to pay political heed to the needs of poor women and women of color was another.· The poor woman had no choice but to return to her files.· The poor woman had no faith in herself.· She was only half alive, poor woman.· But the harshest rhetoric and most sweeping policy changes have been reserved for the poor, particularly poor women.· The poorer women especially had little choice but to follow their husbands and sweethearts into battle.· The marketers' response to proletarianization also suggests that the political potential of poor women traders warrants greater attention.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► the poor man’s somebodyPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► the fuel poor► good/poor/silly old etc somebody
1no money a)having very little money and not many possessions OPP rich: - All in all marriage was a pragmatic affair and individual desires came a poor second to the harmony of the group.
- Food was taking a poor second on my diet sheet this evening.
- It is true though, that where waters are absolutely saturated with maggots, even bread comes a poor second.
- Peter hit a poor drive and a poor second, to the right of a nasty greenside bunker.
- Saturn is a poor third, and Jupiter is dead last.
- The passenger has always come a poor second to the operational integrity of the system.
- The Socialists would come a poor second with 26.5%; the Communists could expect no more than 7%.
- They have a poor third quarter.
- No one could have been more sympathetic to the detail of the poor man's need, or more capable of vicarious imagination.
- Alternatively they may be subsumed within the department and treated as a poor relation.
- Build quality and sound are as good as I expected, so these guitars are definitely not poor relations.
- I enquired about poor relations, in case anyone thought they had been done out of all this prosperity.
- In the considered opinion of many experts this poor relation of the industry will probably take 80% of the market by volume.
- It was furnished with a certain meanness of equipment that made them feel like poor relations.
- Pauken, whose late-starting campaign caught people by surprise, has poor relations with Texas elected officials, particularly Gov.
- She moved in this atmosphere not quite as an equal, but not quite as a poor relation, either.
- Several local churches are involved in giving out food to the poor.
- The country is poor in natural resources.
- Cooper gave a good account of himself in the fight.
- Sussex's Wood gave a good account of herself and should have claimed the second set.
- Thirteen-year-old Patsy, who could always give a good account of herself, looked upset.
- Though it gave a good account of itself, Dave gently persuaded the fish close enough to be lifted aboard the boat.
- And the poor devil can't hide a thing from her.
- Eliot has it perhaps worse than I have - poor devil.
- He loathed the sterile ritual of inspections, and this poor devil in his untimely end had saved him from that.
- He was a handsome devil, clever and presumably extremely well off.
- I know bow the poor devil feels.
- I was driving past and tried to stop this poor devil getting beaten up.
- This isn't a propitious start for him, poor devil.
- What on earth was eating the poor devil?
- Batter Up Despite my best efforts, I could not stop eating the skinny fries that came with the combination.
- Dealing with these individual and family concerns will require the best efforts of mental health professionals.
- Football is a team game; offense and defense must work together to produce the best effort.
- However, objects decay despite our best efforts to conserve them.
- In spite of Holford-Walker's best efforts, the moran evaded his supervision.
- In spite of the rain's best efforts, I was pleased that I had been able to observe and film interesting mink behaviour.
- Or maybe they disapproved of or were indifferent to your best efforts.
- Peter Pike and Davern Lambert had good efforts before Musgrove completed his hat-trick with a good shot on the turn.
- But Tories have continued to attack, saying the scheme is a poor excuse for real pedestrianisation.
- Almost all the poor performers were to be found in the economically-disadvantaged regions.
- Both Cisco and Stratacom are among the top performers on Wall Street.
- But these top performers are aware of the requirements for effective training as well as its limitations.
- Deals are also being offered to companies as alternative incentive perks to top performers.
- He chose an all-or-nothing strategy to put himself in the top performers in the Great Grain Challenge.
- It took me seven months to really understand that I have an individual who is a good performer.
- Strasser pointed to the construction, cable, chemical, tire and engineering industries as the likely best performers this year.
- The poorer performers tend to die; the better ones, to reproduce.
- Almost 40% of unfit properties, and 35% of properties in poor repair, were occupied by people aged 60 and over.
- Drains: A properly constructed system, in good repair, does not normally require cleaning.
- It was the only door on Dreadnought which could be considered in good repair.
- Or Arthur McAlister; who had taken the responsibility of having their lawn mowed and keeping the house in good repair.
- Specific buildings, notably those on Castle Hill, including the cathedral and palaces, are restored and in good repair.
- The fences on either side of the track were in poor repair and in April 1965 children were seen on the line.
- The gallery is a very fine example and in good repair.
- The power station was in poor repair, and Smith set about installing new insulators and restoring good practice.
- Alcohol and western cigarettes are best sellers.
- Convinced it had a best seller on its hands, Random House came up with the unorthodox idea of relaunching the book.
- Drosnin is an investigative newspaper reporter who once wrote a best seller about Howard Hughes.
- His album Stars was last year's best seller and spawned a string of hit singles.
- It was the earliest best seller.
- Q.. What makes a book a best seller?
- The man who made a best seller out of a defamatory rant now wants to make a best seller out of repentance.
- Voice over Mrs De Winter is already tipped as being one of the best sellers this year.
- But if I was in better shape, I'd be sitting up there.
- He could still be in good shape.
- He said Texpool is in good shape now.
- If only he could tell them he was all right, in good shape, considering ...
- This saw the band in good shape, retaining their traditions of twisted passions and bleak emotional narratives.
- This year, however, Dole appears in good shape in both locations.
- Uptown was still in bad shape.
- We found he was in good shape, but had no food in his intestines.
- He might have put up a good show the other day, but that was because he was frightened.
- She put up a better show in the 1980s.
- Only good spellers can spell easily orally.
- They give the good speller a chance to use his skill, but may depress a poor speller.
- He told everyone Norm was a hothead, a poor sport, a disgrace as a Catholic, and a lousy catcher.
- It is not good for a player to be considered a poor sport.
Her family were so poor they couldn’t afford to buy her new clothes. an area where poor people lived one of the poorest countries in the world a poor part of Chicago (=where a lot of poor people live) My grandparents grew up dirt poor (=very poor).desperately/extremely poor Many of the families are desperately poor. b)the poor [plural] people who are poor: It’s the government’s responsibility to help the poor.the rural/urban/working poor tax relief for the working poor2not good not as good as it could be or should be: The soil in this area is very poor. poor rates of pay He blames himself for the team’s poor performance.of poor quality (=not made well or not made of good materials) The jacket was of very poor quality.poor hearing/eyesight/memory Her hearing is poor, so speak fairly loudly.make/do a poor job of doing something The builders did a really poor job of fixing our roof.► see thesaurus at bad3sympathy [only before noun] spoken used to show sympathy for someone because they are so unlucky, unhappy etc: Poor kid, he’s had a rough day. You poor thing, you’ve had a hard time of it, haven’t you? Poor old Ted was sick for weeks.4not good at something not good at doing something: a poor public speakerpoor at He’s poor at sports.5health someone whose health is poor is ill or weak for a long period of time: My parents are both in rather poor health.6poor in something lacking something that is needed: The country is poor in natural resources.7a poor second/third etc the act of finishing a race, competition etc a long way behind the person ahead of you: McLean won easily, and Benson was a poor second.come (in) a poor second/third etc British English The Socialists came a poor second with 26.5% of the vote.8the poor man’s somebody used to say that someone is like a very famous performer, writer etc but is not as good as they are: He was the poor man’s Elvis Presley.9the poor man’s something used to say that something can be used for the same purpose as something else, and is much cheaper: Herring is the poor man’s salmon.10poor relation British English someone or something that is not treated as well as other members of a group or is much less successful than they arepoor of Theatre musicians tend to be the poor relations of the musical profession. → be in bad/poor taste at taste1(6), poorly1COLLOCATIONSadverbsextremely poor· His parents were extremely poor.desperately poor (=so poor that it causes great suffering)· Half the population remains desperately poor.dirt poor American English informal (=extremely poor)· We were dirt poor back then.adjectivesthe rural poor (=poor people who live in the countryside)· Difficult economic conditions have driven millions of the rural poor to cities.the urban poor (=poor people who live in towns and cities)· The condition of the urban poor could no longer be ignored.the working poor (=poor people who have jobs, rather than unemployed people)· These tax-cut proposals are targeted at the working poor.THESAURUSpoor having very little money and not many possessions – used about people or places: · Many families were too poor to pay for education.· poor countrieshard up/broke (also skint British English) [not before noun] informal having very little money, especially for a short period of time. Skint is more informal than the other words: · I’m a bit hard up at the moment· We were so broke we couldn’t afford to go out to the cinema.developing [only before noun] a developing country is poor and has very little industry: · The disease is found mainly in developing countries.· the developing worlddeprived [usually before noun] much poorer than other people in a country, and not having the things that are necessary for a comfortable or happy life – used about people and areas: · The charity works with deprived children in the inner city.· one of the most deprived areas of Londondisadvantaged especially written used about groups of people in society who have much less chance of being successful because they are poor: · An increase in the minimum wage would help the most disadvantaged Americans.needy having very little money, and so needing help – used about groups of people: · More help should be given to needy families.· We offer scholarships for needy students.destitute especially written having no money or possessions and nowhere to live – used when someone is in a very bad situation: · Her family was left destitute after her father died.· destitute refugeesimpoverished formal impoverished people and places are very poor: · out-of-work miners and their impoverished families· The children come from impoverished neighbourhoods.· one of the world’s most impoverished countriespoverty-stricken written extremely poor: · poverty-stricken areas· They were left poverty-stricken.penniless especially literary having no money: · She died penniless.· a penniless studentCOLLOCATIONS CHECKdeprived area/children/homes/backgrounddisadvantaged groups/children/students/backgroundneedy children/students/familiesimpoverished families/areas/countriespoverty-stricken areas/countries/people