impoverish Definition
- 1to make someone very poor
- 2to exhaust the strength, vitality, or natural fertility of
Using impoverish: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "impoverish" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The war has impoverished the country.
Example
The drought has impoverished the farmers.
Example
The company's mismanagement has impoverished its employees.
Example
The constant stress of work has impoverished his health.
impoverish Synonyms and Antonyms
Phrases with impoverish
a region or community that is extremely poor and lacking in resources
Example
The government has promised to provide aid to the impoverished areas of the country.
soil that has been depleted of its nutrients and is no longer fertile
Example
The overuse of pesticides and chemical fertilizers has left many farms with impoverished soil.
a language that has lost much of its original vocabulary and grammar due to outside influences
Example
The English spoken in some regions of the world is an impoverished language, having lost much of its original structure and vocabulary.
Origins of impoverish
from Old French 'empoverir', from 'povre' meaning 'poor'
Summary: impoverish in Brief
The verb 'impoverish' [im-pov-er-ish] means to make someone very poor or to exhaust their strength or vitality. It can be used in phrases like 'impoverished area' or 'impoverished soil.' Examples include 'The war has impoverished the country' and 'The constant stress of work has impoverished his health.' Synonyms include 'bankrupt' and 'deplete,' while antonyms include 'enrich' and 'prosper.'