poor
♦♦ poor /p'ʊər, p'ɔːr/ (poorer poorest)
1 [ADJ]
Someone who is poor has very little money and few possessions.
The reason our schools cannot afford better teachers is because people here are poor...
He was one of thirteen children from a poor family.
≠ rich
[N-PLURAL] the N
The poor are people who are poor.
Even the poor have their pride.
2 [ADJ]
The people in a poor country or area have very little money and few possessions.
Many countries in the Third World are as poor as they have ever been.
...a settlement house for children in a poor neighborhood.
≠ rich
3 [ADJ] ADJ n
You use poor to express your sympathy for someone.
I feel sorry for that poor child...
Poor chap-he was killed in an air crash...
4 [ADJ]
If you describe something as poor, you mean that it is of a low quality or standard or that it is in bad condition.
The flat was in a poor state of repair...
The wine was poor.
● poorly [ADV] ADV -ed, ADV after v
Some are living in poorly built dormitories, even in tents...
5 [ADJ]
If you describe an amount, rate, or number as poor, you mean that it is less than expected or less than is considered reasonable.
...poor wages and working conditions.
● poorly [ADV] ADV -ed, ADV after v
During the first week, the evening meetings were poorly attended...
= badly
6 [ADJ] usu ADJ n, also v-link ADJ at -ing/n
You use poor to describe someone who is not very skilful in a particular activity.
He was a poor actor...
Hospitals are poor at collecting information.
● poorly [ADV] ADV after v
That is the fact of Hungarian football-they can play very well or very poorly.
7 [ADJ] v-link ADJ in n
If something is poor in a particular quality or substance, it contains very little of the quality or substance.
...soil that is poor in zinc.poor re|la|tion (poor relations)
[N-COUNT] usu N of n
If you describe one thing as a poor relation of another, you mean that it is similar to or part of the other thing, but is considered to be inferior to it.
Watercolour still seems somehow to be the poor relation of oil painting.
1 [ADJ]
Someone who is poor has very little money and few possessions.
The reason our schools cannot afford better teachers is because people here are poor...
He was one of thirteen children from a poor family.
≠ rich
[N-PLURAL] the N
The poor are people who are poor.
Even the poor have their pride.
2 [ADJ]
The people in a poor country or area have very little money and few possessions.
Many countries in the Third World are as poor as they have ever been.
...a settlement house for children in a poor neighborhood.
≠ rich
3 [ADJ] ADJ n
You use poor to express your sympathy for someone.
I feel sorry for that poor child...
Poor chap-he was killed in an air crash...
4 [ADJ]
If you describe something as poor, you mean that it is of a low quality or standard or that it is in bad condition.
The flat was in a poor state of repair...
The wine was poor.
● poorly [ADV] ADV -ed, ADV after v
Some are living in poorly built dormitories, even in tents...
5 [ADJ]
If you describe an amount, rate, or number as poor, you mean that it is less than expected or less than is considered reasonable.
...poor wages and working conditions.
● poorly [ADV] ADV -ed, ADV after v
During the first week, the evening meetings were poorly attended...
= badly
6 [ADJ] usu ADJ n, also v-link ADJ at -ing/n
You use poor to describe someone who is not very skilful in a particular activity.
He was a poor actor...
Hospitals are poor at collecting information.
● poorly [ADV] ADV after v
That is the fact of Hungarian football-they can play very well or very poorly.
7 [ADJ] v-link ADJ in n
If something is poor in a particular quality or substance, it contains very little of the quality or substance.
...soil that is poor in zinc.poor re|la|tion (poor relations)
[N-COUNT] usu N of n
If you describe one thing as a poor relation of another, you mean that it is similar to or part of the other thing, but is considered to be inferior to it.
Watercolour still seems somehow to be the poor relation of oil painting.