penniless

/ˈpeniləs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈpeniləs/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈpe-ni-ləs/ (ame, mw)

penniless — adjective

  • pennilesspositive
  • more pennilesscomparative
  • most pennilesssuperlative

1. with all your money gone, so you cannot cover basic living costs

1.形容詞B2
釋義

with all your money gone, so you cannot cover basic living costs

例句

After the fire, the shop owner was penniless and sleeping on a cousin's sofa.

predicative: be penniless after losing everything

By twenty-five, Leo had gambled away his savings and ended up penniless.

pattern: end up penniless

同義詞
  • poor

    broader and less exact; someone poor may still have some money

  • broke

    informal and often temporary, especially after spending too much

  • destitute

    more formal and stronger, suggesting extreme need

  • impoverished

    more formal and often used about groups, areas, or long-term conditions

反義詞
  • wealthy

    having plenty of money

  • well-off

    less strong than 'wealthy'; comfortably provided with money

文法句型

be penniless

a penniless student

end up penniless

be left penniless

用法筆記

Often used after verbs that show a result, such as 'leave', 'end up', or 'find yourself'. Before a noun, it most often describes a person in a hard situation rather than an object or place.

常見錯誤

❌He is penniless but owns three houses.
✅He is poor, but he owns three houses.
💡'penniless' means no money is available at all, so it clashes with clear signs of wealth.
❌She became penniless money after the scam.
✅She became penniless after the scam.
💡no noun comes directly after 'penniless'.