indigent

/ˈɪndɪdʒənt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɪndɪdʒənt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈin-di-jənt/ (ame, mw)

indigent — adjective

  • indigentpositive
  • more indigentcomparative
  • most indigentsuperlative

1. lacking the money needed for basic things like food, clothing, and shelter, so t

1.形容詞C2
釋義

lacking the money needed for basic things like food, clothing, and shelter, so that you depend on charity or public aid to get by.

例句

The clinic offers free dental care to indigent families in the neighborhood.

indigent + noun (modifying a group)

Nora's grandfather grew up indigent in a small village after the war.

predicative use after a linking verb

同義詞
  • destitute

    stronger; suggests total lack of resources, often with no shelter at all

  • impoverished

    neutral and very common; describes regions or groups reduced to poverty

  • needy

    softer, less formal; common in charity and social-service contexts

  • penniless

    informal; emphasises having no money at this moment, often temporary

反義詞
  • wealthy

    neutral antonym across registers

  • affluent

    formal; suggests comfortable, established prosperity

文法句型

indigent + noun

the indigent (used as plural noun)

用法筆記

Formal register, common in legal, medical, and social-policy writing. Often modifies a group noun (patients, families, defendants) or appears as the collective noun phrase 'the indigent'. Distinguish from 'indigenous' (native to a place) — the two words look alike but have unrelated meanings.

常見錯誤

❌The indigenous people could not afford the medicine.' (when meaning poor)
✅The indigent people could not afford the medicine.
💡'indigenous' means native to a place, not poor.
❌He felt indigent about losing his job.
✅He felt indignant about losing his job.
💡'indignant' means angry at unfairness; 'indigent' means very poor.