impoverish

verb

im·pov·er·ish im-ˈpä-v(ə-)rish How to pronounce impoverish (audio)

impoverished; impoverishing; impoverishes

transitive verb

: to make poor

: to deprive of strength, richness, or fertility by depleting or draining of something essential

impoverisher noun

impoverishment

im-ˈpä-v(ə-)rish-mənt How to pronounce impoverish (audio)

noun

Example Sentences

The dictator enriched himself but impoverished his people. Poor farming practices impoverished the soil.

Recent Examples on the Web The collapse of intellectual diversity and the narrowing limits of debate on too many campuses don’t just impoverish the education of American students.

Walter Russell Mead, WSJ, 29 Aug. 2022 In desperately poor Afghanistan, the ban seems certain to further impoverish its poorest citizens at a time when the country is in an economic free fall.

Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2022 But others have been persuaded that any changes to pensions will impoverish the elderly, and are understandably worried — in other words, the electorate has as little trust in Illinois’ Republican legislators as in Democrats.

Elizabeth Bauer, Forbes, 13 May 2021 Awarding damages for mere mistakes would impoverish debate, the court ruled.

The Economist, 18 Mar. 2021 In truth, the sacrifices some families made to shoulder their debt burden underscores the folly of forcing families to impoverish themselves to attain higher education.

Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 2 Dec. 2020 The three countries of Central America’s impoverished Northern Triangle have extremely small asylum processing offices, but Wolf said the U.S. is working to expand their ability to process and care for asylum seekers.

Robert Moore, Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2019 Tamara Qiblawi and Ghazi Balkiz report from Tripoli, where the lockdown has stoked resentment, fueled rumors of a government conspiracy to further impoverish the poor and ignited violent protests.

Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 2 May 2020 President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt, who came to power through a military coup—has pursued a bleaker approach that is keeping his state solvent by impoverishing his people.

Anthony Bubalo, The New Republic, 17 Mar. 2020 See More

impoverish

verb

as in to pauperize

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

pauperize
ruin
bankrupt
beggar
reduce
bust
straiten
break
wipe out
clean (out)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

enrich
richen

as in to deplete

Synonyms & Similar Words

deplete
consume
exhaust
squander
waste
overspend
spend
lose
splurge
misspend
lavish
dissipate
throw away
blow
run through
indulge
overindulge
shoot
expend
fiddle away
disburse
trifle (away)
fritter (away)
lay out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

protect
preserve
save
conserve
hoard
economize
lay up
scrimp
skimp

Synonym Chooser

Some common synonyms of impoverish are bankrupt, deplete, drain, and exhaust. While all these words mean "to deprive of something essential to existence or potency," impoverish suggests a deprivation of something essential to richness or productiveness.

impoverished soil

In some situations, the words bankrupt and impoverish are roughly equivalent. However, bankrupt suggests impoverishment to the point of imminent collapse.

war had bankrupted the nation of resources

The meanings of deplete and impoverish largely overlap; however, deplete implies a reduction in number or quantity so as to endanger the ability to function.

depleting our natural resources

While in some cases nearly identical to impoverish, drain implies a gradual withdrawal and ultimate deprivation of what is necessary to an existence.

personal tragedy had drained him of all spirit

The words exhaust and impoverish are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, exhaust stresses a complete emptying.

her lecture exhausted the subject

单词	impoverish
释义	impoverish verb im·pov·er·ish im-ˈpä-v(ə-)rish impoverished; impoverishing; impoverishes transitive verb 1 : to make poor 2 : to deprive of strength, richness, or fertility by depleting or draining of something essential impoverisher noun impoverishment im-ˈpä-v(ə-)rish-mənt noun Example Sentences The dictator enriched himself but impoverished his people. Poor farming practices impoverished the soil. Recent Examples on the Web The collapse of intellectual diversity and the narrowing limits of debate on too many campuses don’t just impoverish the education of American students. Walter Russell Mead, WSJ, 29 Aug. 2022 In desperately poor Afghanistan, the ban seems certain to further impoverish its poorest citizens at a time when the country is in an economic free fall. Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2022 But others have been persuaded that any changes to pensions will impoverish the elderly, and are understandably worried — in other words, the electorate has as little trust in Illinois’ Republican legislators as in Democrats. Elizabeth Bauer, Forbes, 13 May 2021 Awarding damages for mere mistakes would impoverish debate, the court ruled. The Economist, 18 Mar. 2021 In truth, the sacrifices some families made to shoulder their debt burden underscores the folly of forcing families to impoverish themselves to attain higher education. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 2 Dec. 2020 The three countries of Central America’s impoverished Northern Triangle have extremely small asylum processing offices, but Wolf said the U.S. is working to expand their ability to process and care for asylum seekers. Robert Moore, Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2019 Tamara Qiblawi and Ghazi Balkiz report from Tripoli, where the lockdown has stoked resentment, fueled rumors of a government conspiracy to further impoverish the poor and ignited violent protests. Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 2 May 2020 President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt, who came to power through a military coup—has pursued a bleaker approach that is keeping his state solvent by impoverishing his people. Anthony Bubalo, The New Republic, 17 Mar. 2020 See More Word History Etymology Middle English enpoverisshen, from Anglo-French empoveriss-, stem of empoverir, from en- + povre poor — more at poor First Known Use 15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Kids Definition impoverish verb im·pov·er·ish im-ˈpä-və-rish impoverished; impoverishing 1 : to make poor The greedy tyrant impoverished his people. 2 : to use up the strength or richness of impoverished soil impoverish verb 1 as in to pauperize Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance pauperize ruin bankrupt beggar reduce bust straiten break wipe out clean (out) Antonyms & Near Antonyms enrich richen 2 as in to deplete Synonyms & Similar Words deplete consume exhaust squander waste overspend spend lose splurge misspend lavish dissipate throw away blow run through indulge overindulge shoot expend fiddle away disburse trifle (away) fritter (away) lay out Antonyms & Near Antonyms protect preserve save conserve hoard economize lay up scrimp skimp See More Synonym Chooser Some common synonyms of impoverish are bankrupt, deplete, drain, and exhaust. While all these words mean "to deprive of something essential to existence or potency," impoverish suggests a deprivation of something essential to richness or productiveness. impoverished soil In some situations, the words bankrupt and impoverish are roughly equivalent. However, bankrupt suggests impoverishment to the point of imminent collapse. war had bankrupted the nation of resources The meanings of deplete and impoverish largely overlap; however, deplete implies a reduction in number or quantity so as to endanger the ability to function. depleting our natural resources While in some cases nearly identical to impoverish, drain implies a gradual withdrawal and ultimate deprivation of what is necessary to an existence. personal tragedy had drained him of all spirit The words exhaust and impoverish are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, exhaust stresses a complete emptying. her lecture exhausted the subject
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impoverish

verb

Example Sentences

Word History

Kids Definition

verb

verb

Synonym Chooser