homeless

/'houmlisnis/
Học thuật
Thân thiện
Definition
  1. Adjective:

    • Lacking a permanent place of residence; without a home: Describes a person, family, or group that does not have a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.
    • Deprived of security, stability, or a sense of belonging: Can describe a state of being physically or emotionally without a secure base.
    • Stateless; without nationality or citizenship: Describes a person not recognized as a citizen by any country.
  2. Noun (plural: the homeless):

    • People who are without a home: Used with a definite article ("the") to refer collectively to homeless people as a group.
Usage Examples
  • Adjective:

    • The charity provides meals for homeless individuals.
    • After the fire, the family was left homeless.
    • The documentary highlighted the plight of homeless veterans.
  • Noun (the homeless):

    • The city is increasing shelter capacity for the homeless.
    • Volunteers distributed blankets to the homeless during the winter.
Advanced Usage
  • "chronically homeless": Refers to individuals who have been homeless for a long period, often a year or more, or who have experienced repeated episodes of homelessness.

    • The new program targets support for the chronically homeless.
  • "homelessness" (noun): The state or condition of being homeless.

    • The economic crisis led to a sharp rise in homelessness.
Variants and Related Words
  • Homelessly (adverb): In a homeless manner.
    • They wandered homelessly from town to town.
  • Homeless shelter (noun phrase): A place providing temporary accommodation for homeless people.
  • Stateless (adjective): A closely related term specifically meaning lacking citizenship, which can be a cause of homelessness.
Synonyms
  • Destitute: Lacking the means of subsistence; impoverished.
  • Displaced: Forced to leave one's home, typically because of war, persecution, or natural disaster.
  • Itinerant: Traveling from place to place, often with no permanent home.
  • Unhoused: An alternative term for lacking housing.
Related Phrases
  • "Sleep rough": To sleep outdoors or in improvised shelters because one is homeless.
    • Many who are homeless have to sleep rough in parks.
  • "Street homeless": Refers to people sleeping in places not meant for human habitation (e.g., streets, doorways, parks), as opposed to those in shelters.
Idioms
  • "To be out on the street": To be homeless or forced to leave one's home.
    • If I lose my job, I'll be out on the street.
Adjective
  1. physically or spiritually homeless or deprived of security
    • made a living out of shepherding dispossed people from one country to another- James Stern
  2. without nationality or citizenship
    • stateless persons
Noun
  1. poor people who unfortunately do not have a home to live in
    • the homeless became a problem in the large cities
  2. someone unfortunate without housing
    • a homeless was found murdered in Central Park