Synonyms of poor
120 similar words · 5 opposite words
Another word for poor is bad. Other synonyms of poor are one-star, low-quality, bankrupt, low-grade and needy. The opposite of poor is rich.
Synonyms and similar words for poor
adjectiveWith no or few possessions or money, particularly in relation to contemporaries who do have them.
- brokeWithout any money, penniless.
- impecuniousLacking money.
- needyIn need; poor.
- almslessNot having any alms; impoverished.
- armPoor; lacking in riches or wealth.
- badly offIn unfortunate circumstances, especially having financial difficulty.
- bankruptIn a condition of bankruptcy; unable to pay outstanding debts or meet financial obligations; specifically, having been...
- beggaredPoor; empoverished.
- beggarlyIn the manner of a beggar; poverty-stricken; mean; poor; contemptible.
- boracic
- brokenHaving no money; bankrupt, broke.
- broker than the Ten CommandmentsExtremely impoverished.
- destituteLacking money, poor, impoverished; especially, extremely so.
- dirt poor
- disadvantagedPoor; in financial difficulties.
- down and outIn a condition of poverty or debility, especially as a result of experiencing a financial or personal setback.
- down at heelIn poor condition, especially due to having worn heels; worn-out, shabby.
- down on one's luckUnlucky or undergoing a period of bad luck, especially with respect to financial matters.
- down on one's uppersImpecunious, lacking money.
- empty-handed
- farthinglessWithout a farthing; very poor.
- feeling the pinch
- flat
- goodlessWithout goods or property; destitute.
- hard upLacking money; impecunious; in financial difficulties.
- impoverishedReduced to poverty.
- in need
- indigentPoor; destitute; in need.
- insolvent
- lower-class
- moneylessHaving no (or very little) money.
- necessitousNeedy, indigent, destitute, poor.
- pauperized
- pennilessLacking even the smallest amount of money.
- penuriousImpoverished; wanting for money.
- pinched
- pok kai slangHaving no money; broke; bankrupt.
- poor as a church mouseVery poor, to the point of starving or begging; utterly destitute.
- poor as a ratSynonym of poor as a church mouse.
- poor as JobExtremely poor, destitute.
- possessionlessWithout possessions.
- poverty-riddenSuffering from poverty.
- poverty-strickenVery poor.
- shillinglessWithout a shilling; broke.
- skintPenniless, poor, impecunious, broke.
- stone-broke
- stony-broke
- strappedPoor; broke.
- unwealthyNot wealthy.
- wealthlessHaving little or no wealth; poor.
- depauperate obsolete
- groatless archaic, rareWithout a groat; very poor.
- oofless UK, datedShort of money; poor.
- stuck archaic, slangIn the situation of having no money.
- threadbare archaic, obsoleteIn poor condition; damaged, shabby; also, poorly equipped or provided for, inadequate, meagre, scanty.
adjectiveOf low quality.
- cheapOf poor quality.
- inferiorOf low rank, standard or quality.
- lowNot high in status, esteem, or rank, dignity, or quality. (Compare vulgar.).
- sorryPoor, pitifully sad or regrettable.
- ass slang, vulgarOf low quality; bad.
- badOf low quality.
- baseInferior; unworthy, of poor quality.
- below par
- bottom-shelfCheap or low-quality.
- BTEC UKLow-quality or inferior.
- bumOf poor quality or highly undesirable.
- cheap and nasty UKCheap and of bad quality.
- cheapshit vulgarCheap; shoddy; of inferior quality.
- cheesyCheap, of poor quality.
- chintzy figurativelyTastelessly showy; cheap, gaudy, or tacky.
- coffee-and derogatory, slangCheap, second-rate.
- crap slang, vulgarOf poor quality.
- crappo slangOf very low quality; crap, lousy.
- crappy vulgarOf very poor quality; unpleasant; distasteful.
- craptastic slang, vulgarOf extremely poor quality.
- crapperific slang, vulgarExtremely awful.
- craptabulous slang, vulgarExtremely awful.
- craptacular US, slangSpectacularly awful; so poor in quality as to become a spectacle.
- cruddy slangCrummy, lousy, worthless.
- crummy informalBad; poor.
- dogwater slangExtremely bad or unskilled (especially at a video game); trash.
- dreckyTrashy, worthless.
- flimsyLikely to bend or break under pressure; easily damaged; frail, unsubstantial.
- fourth-rateTerrible, awful; less than third-rate.
- gash UK, slangOf poor quality; makeshift; improvised; temporary; substituted.
- garbageBad, crap, shitty.
- god-awfulExtremely awful, unpleasant or dreadful.
- lousyInsufficient and less than expected of a good thing.
- low-gradeOf inferior quality.
- low-qualityOf poor quality; inferior.
- low-rentLow-quality, trashy.
- made in ChinaCheaply manufactured; of poor or low quality, (especially) if made in East Asia.
- mid slangTrashy; low-quality.
- one-starOf low quality; low-quality.
- patheticArousing pity, sympathy, or compassion; exciting pathos.
- poor man'sCheaper than, simpler than, a low-quality version of, or inferior to.
- pound-shop UK, derogatoryUsed to denote that something is low-quality or an inferior imitation.
- punkBad, substandard.
- rinky-dink US, informalOf poor quality; amateurish, shoddy, small-time.
- ropy Ireland, UKOf poor quality; in poor health.
- rubbish Australia, informalExceedingly bad; awful.
- sadPoor in quality, bad; shameful, deplorable; later, regrettable, poor.
- schlockyOf inferior quality, cheap.
- scrubbyInferior in size or quality.
- second-rateOf mediocre quality; not first-rate.
- shoddyPoor; low.
- slim UK, dialectalBad, of questionable quality; not strongly built, flimsy.
- subparOf less than a traditional or accepted standard.
- shit vulgarOf poor quality; worthless.
- shite Ireland, UKBad; awful; shit.
- shitty informal, vulgarLow-quality; inferior; not up to par, or failing one's expectations.
- substandardOf inferior quality; not meeting the minimum quality requirements.
- ticky-tacky USMade of this material; cheaply built, of low quality.
- tenth-rateOf extremely poor quality, godawful.
- third-ratePoor, shoddy; less than second-rate.
- tin-pot informalOf inferior quality; shoddy.
- trash
- trashyLike trash; having low quality and a perceived lack of depth, especially of books and films.
- under parBelow par.
- woefulWretched; paltry; poor.
Opposite of poor
adjectiveWith no or few possessions or money, particularly in relation to contemporaries who do have them.
adjectiveOf low quality.
Meaning of poor
- adjective With no or few possessions or money, particularly in relation to contemporaries who do have them.
- adjective Of low quality.
- adjective Worthy of pity.
poor in other languages
Questions about synonyms of poor
- What is another word for poor?
- Poor has 120 synonyms on Word.ws, such as bad, one-star, low-quality, bankrupt, low-grade, needy, second-rate and poverty-stricken.
- What is the opposite of poor?
- The opposite of poor is rich. Other antonyms of poor are good.
- What does poor mean?
- Poor means with no or few possessions or money, particularly in relation to contemporaries who do have them.
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: poor (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this page: “Synonyms of poor.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/poor. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.