poor

/pɔː(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /pʊr/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈpu̇r ˈpȯr/ (ame, mw) · /pɔːr/ (bre, ipa)

poor — adjective

  • poorpositive
  • poorercomparative
  • poorestsuperlative

1. not having much money or many things, and often finding daily life hard

1.形容詞A1
釋義

not having much money or many things, and often finding daily life hard

例句

The poor family shared one small room above the bakery.

before noun: poor family

After rent and bills, Maya felt too poor to buy new shoes.

pattern: too poor to + verb

同義詞
  • broke

    informal and often temporary, especially after spending money

  • penniless

    stronger, meaning no money is left at all

  • needy

    focuses on needing help or basic things

  • impoverished

    more formal and often used for places or groups

反義詞
  • rich

    having a lot of money or valuable things

  • wealthy

    more formal than 'rich'

  • well-off

    comfortably provided with money

文法句型

a poor family

be poor

too poor to buy something

用法筆記

Usually about people, families, or communities. For a shortage of one named thing such as jobs or vitamins, use sense 2 instead, often with 'poor in'.

常見錯誤

❌My uncle is poor in money.
✅My uncle is poor.' / 'My uncle is short of money.
💡general lack of money does not use 'poor in'.
❌I am a poor now.
✅I am poor now.
💡after 'be', 'poor' is an adjective, not a noun.

2. having too little of a named quality, material, or other thing

2.形容詞B2
釋義

having too little of a named quality, material, or other thing

例句

This dry soil is poor in plant food, so beans do not grow well.

pattern: poor in + noun

The village is poor in jobs, so many young people leave.

poor in + resource noun

同義詞
  • lacking

    neutral and common, often used before the thing missing

  • short of

    common in everyday speech for not having enough

  • low in

    often used for food, health, and science contexts

  • deficient

    more formal and common in technical writing

反義詞
  • rich

    having a lot of a useful or desirable thing

  • full of

    emphasizes plenty of something inside or throughout

  • abundant

    formal and suggests a large supply

文法句型

be poor in jobs

be poor in detail

be poor in color

用法筆記

Usually follows 'be' and most often appears in the pattern 'poor in + noun'. Distinguish from sense 3: this sense says what is missing, while sense 3 judges quality or performance as bad.

常見錯誤

❌This area is poor of jobs.
✅This area is poor in jobs.
💡this sense normally uses 'in' before the thing that is lacking.
❌The soil is poor at water.
✅The soil is poor in water.
💡use 'in', not 'at', for a missing substance.

3. not good enough, or showing weak quality, skill, amount, or results

3.形容詞B2
釋義

not good enough, or showing weak quality, skill, amount, or results

例句

We got poor service, and dinner arrived cold after an hour.

collocation: poor service

Nina was poor at tennis until she practiced every morning.

pattern: poor at + activity

同義詞
  • bad

    the most general everyday word

  • weak

    often used for performance, arguments, or results

  • inferior

    more formal and often used for quality

  • inadequate

    formal and stresses not meeting a need or standard

反義詞
  • good

    general opposite for quality or performance

  • strong

    often used for ability, arguments, or results

  • excellent

    much stronger than 'good'

文法句型

poor service

be poor at tennis

a poor start

用法筆記

Can describe things, results, or how well a person does something. 'Poor at' for ability belongs here, not sense 2, because it evaluates performance rather than showing a missing substance or resource.

常見錯誤

❌My brother is poor in tennis.
✅My brother is poor at tennis.
💡use 'poor at' for skill or ability.
❌We received a poor of service.
✅We received poor service.
💡'poor' directly modifies the noun without 'of'.

4. used before a person, animal, or name when you feel sorry for them

4.形容詞A2
釋義

used before a person, animal, or name when you feel sorry for them

例句

Poor Emma dropped her cake on the bus floor.

before a name to show sympathy

The poor dog waited outside the clinic in the rain.

before noun: poor dog

同義詞
  • unfortunate

    more formal and less emotional

  • pitiful

    stronger and can sound negative or insulting

  • luckless

    focuses on bad luck and is less common

反義詞
  • fortunate

    having a good outcome or good luck

  • lucky

    common everyday opposite in many situations

文法句型

poor Emma

poor dog

poor Dad

用法筆記

Almost always comes before the noun or name. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense does not mean someone lacks money, only that their situation makes you feel sympathy.

常見錯誤

❌I poor forgot my keys.
✅Poor me, I forgot my keys.' / 'Poor Daniel forgot his keys.
💡this sympathetic 'poor' goes before the person you feel sorry for.

poor — noun