destitution
/ˌdestɪˈtjuːʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌdestɪˈtuːʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌde-stə-ˈtü-shən -ˈtyü-/ (ame, mw)
destitution — noun
1. an extreme condition in which someone has almost no money and lacks the basic th
an extreme condition in which someone has almost no money and lacks the basic things needed for daily life
The flood pushed dozens of farming families into destitution within one season.
pattern: push someone into destitution
After her husband died, Marta faced destitution with three young children.
The charity was created to stop widows from slipping into destitution.
Years without rain brought the mountain villages close to destitution.
Losing both jobs left the couple facing destitution before winter.
- poverty
broader and more everyday; it does not always suggest complete loss of basic needs
- deprivation
more formal and often focuses on going without particular necessities
- pennilessness
narrower because it focuses on having no money, not the wider living condition
- hardship
broader and can be caused by many difficulties besides extreme poverty
- prosperity
a state of financial success and comfortable living
- security
stresses stable access to money, shelter, and everyday safety
文法句型
fall into destitution
reduce someone to destitution
live in destitution
用法筆記
Most common in formal reports or discussion about war, famine, debt, or displacement. It is stronger than poverty and usually suggests that people lack several basics at once, such as money, food, and shelter.