Definition

Adjective: 1. Extremely poor; suffering from severe poverty: Describes a person, family, or community that is so poor they lack the basic necessities of life and may require assistance from others to survive.

Usage

The adjective "poverty-stricken" is used attributively (before a noun) or predicatively (after a linking verb). It emphasizes a state of severe, often desperate, financial hardship. * Attributive use: It directly modifies a noun to describe its condition. * The charity provides aid to poverty-stricken families. * Predicative use: It follows a verb like "be," "become," or "remain." * After the factory closed, the entire region became poverty-stricken.

Examples

• The documentary highlighted the plight of poverty-stricken children in the city.
• Many poverty-stricken areas lack access to clean water and healthcare.
• Despite being poverty-stricken, the community was rich in spirit and solidarity.
• The economic crisis left millions poverty-stricken.

Advanced Usage

• Figurative Use: While primarily economic, "poverty-stricken" can be used metaphorically to describe a severe lack of something non-material, though this is less common.
  • The critic described the film's plot as intellectually poverty-stricken. (Meaning the plot lacked ideas or depth).

Variants and Related Words

• Poverty (n): The state of being extremely poor.
  • The government launched a program to reduce poverty.
• Impoverished (adj): Made poor; deprived of strength or richness. Often interchangeable with "poverty-stricken."
  • War left the country impoverished.

Synonyms

• Destitute: Completely lacking the means to live; utterly impoverished.
• Penniless: Having no money.
• Needy: Lacking the necessities of life; requiring help.
• Indigent: Poor; needy. (A more formal term).

Antonyms

• Wealthy
• Affluent
• Prosperous

Related Phrases and Idioms

• Live in poverty: To exist in a state of being poor.
  • A significant portion of the population continues to live in poverty.
• Poverty line: The estimated minimum level of income needed to secure the necessities of life.
  • Families below the poverty line qualify for assistance.

Adjective

1. poor enough to need help from others