poverty-stricken

/'pɔvəti,strikn/
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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

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