impoverish
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
-
to make poor or diminish the quality of
to impoverish society by cutting the grant to the arts
-
to deprive (soil, etc) of fertility
Other Word Forms
- impoverisher noun
- impoverishment noun
Etymology
Origin of impoverish
1400–50; late Middle English empoverishen < Middle French empovriss- (long stem of empovrir ), equivalent to em- em- 1 + povre poor + -iss -ish 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Senate report tracked at least 25 countries that have received or made deals to take third country nationals as deportees, including remote Uzbekistan and impoverished South Sudan.
From Barron's
The Luddite movement, which predated the Swing Riots, was led by textile workers convinced that power-operated looms would permanently impoverish the middle class.
From Barron's
They had not been walked for four weeks before the attack and a dog behaviour expert had described conditions inside Warren's home as "impoverished".
From BBC
She said Warren's dogs were kept in an "impoverished environment" and had not been walked for four weeks before the incident, making them "incredibly frustrated".
From BBC
"We've seen impoverished support for SEN services, there are serious maintenance issues," she said.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
