penury
/'penjuri/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- Extreme poverty; destitution: A state of being extremely poor, lacking the basic necessities of life such as food, shelter, and clothing.
- Severe lack or scarcity: A condition of great insufficiency or dearth of something.
Usage and Examples
- Noun:
- The economic crisis plunged many families into penury.
- He described the penury of his childhood, recalling days without enough to eat.
- The novel depicts the penury of the working class during the Industrial Revolution.
Advanced Usage
- "To be reduced to penury": To be brought to a state of extreme poverty.
- After the failed business venture, he was reduced to penury.
- "The penury of": Used to indicate a severe lack of something non-material.
- The penury of original ideas in the proposal was disappointing.
Variants and Related Words
- Penurious (adj): Extremely poor; poverty-stricken. Also can mean stingy or miserly.
- They lived in penurious conditions.
- Penuriously (adv): In a poor or stingy manner.
- He lived penuriously to save every penny.
Synonyms
- Destitution: The state of lacking the means to live.
- Indigence: A serious lack of the material resources needed for life.
- Pauperism: The state of being a pauper; utter poverty.
- Impecuniousness: The state of having little or no money.
Antonyms
- Affluence: The state of having a great deal of money; wealth.
- Opulence: Great wealth or luxuriousness.
- Prosperity: The state of being successful, especially in financial terms.
Notes on Meaning
The word penury emphasizes an extreme and often grinding level of poverty. It is more severe and formal than words like "poverty" or "need." While it primarily refers to financial poverty, it can be extended metaphorically to describe a profound lack of other things (e.g., a penury of spirit). It is not typically used for temporary or minor financial difficulties.
Noun
- a state of extreme poverty or destitution
- their indigence appalled him
- a general state of need exists among the homeless