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WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024im•pov•er•ished (im pov′ər isht, -pov′risht),USA pronunciation adj. - reduced to poverty.
- (of a country, area, etc.) having few trees, flowers, birds, wild animals, etc.
- deprived of strength, vitality, creativeness, etc.:an impoverished attempt at humor.
- impoverish + -ed2 1625–35
- 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged See poor.
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2024im•pov•er•ish /ɪmˈpɑvərɪʃ, -ˈpɑvrɪʃ/USA pronunciation v. [~ + object]- to reduce to poverty:The family was impoverished because neither parent could find work.
- to exhaust the strength or vitality of:Excessive farming impoverished the soil.
im•pov•er•ished, adj.: We lived in an impoverished African country. im•pov•er•ish•ment, n. [uncountable] WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024im•pov•er•ish (im pov′ər ish, -pov′rish),USA pronunciation v.t. - to reduce to poverty:a country impoverished by war.
- to make poor in quality, productiveness, etc.;
exhaust the strength or richness of:Bad farming practices impoverished the soil.
- Middle French empovriss- (long stem of empovrir), equivalent. to em- em-1 + povre poor + -iss -ish2
- late Middle English empoverishen 1400–50
- 2.See corresponding entry in Unabridged deplete, drain; weaken, enervate, fatigue, cripple.
- 1, 2.See corresponding entry in Unabridged enrich.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers:: impoverish /ɪmˈpɒvərɪʃ/ vb (transitive)- to make poor or diminish the quality of: to impoverish society by cutting the grant to the arts
- to deprive (soil, etc) of fertility
Etymology: 15th Century: from Old French empovrir, from povre poorimˈpoverishment n |