poverty

/ˈpɒvəti/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈpɑːvərti/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈpä-vər-tē/ (ame, mw)

poverty — noun

1. a situation in which a person, family, or community has so little money that bas

1.名詞B2
釋義

a situation in which a person, family, or community has so little money that basic needs are hard to meet

例句

After the factory closed, many families in the town fell into poverty.

fall into poverty

A free breakfast program helps children in poverty start school ready to learn.

同義詞
  • hardship

    broader and can include suffering caused by illness, war, or other problems, not only money

  • deprivation

    more formal and stresses going without basic things such as food, heat, or safety

  • destitution

    stronger and more formal, suggesting almost nothing is left to live on

反義詞
  • wealth

    focuses on having a large amount of money or valuable property

  • prosperity

    stresses a successful and comfortable economic condition

文法句型

live in poverty

fall into poverty

escape from poverty

poverty among + group

用法筆記

Often used in social and economic discussion, especially after verbs like live in, fall into, and escape from. It usually points to a continuing lack of money, not just one expensive week or one unpaid bill.

常見錯誤

❌Many families live in poor.
✅Many families live in poverty.
💡use the noun 'poverty' after 'live in'; 'poor' is an adjective.

2. a serious shortage of something, or a level of quality that feels weak and not g

2.名詞C1
釋義

a serious shortage of something, or a level of quality that feels weak and not good enough

例句

The bridge plan failed at town hall because of a poverty of detail.

poverty of + noun

Critics noted the film's poverty of imagination in its second half.

poverty of imagination

同義詞
  • scarcity

    stresses that not enough of something is available

  • shortage

    a more everyday word for not having enough of a needed thing

  • weakness

    fits the poor-quality side of this sense more than the idea of low supply

反義詞
  • abundance

    shows that there is more than enough of something

  • richness

    works especially for content, ideas, style, or detail with depth and variety

文法句型

poverty of + noun

because of a poverty of + noun

用法筆記

Most often appears in the pattern 'poverty of + noun', especially with words like detail, imagination, evidence, or choice. Distinguish from sense 1 BEING VERY POOR, which is about money and living conditions.

常見錯誤

❌The speech showed a poverty on ideas.
✅The speech showed a poverty of ideas.
💡this sense usually takes 'of', not 'on'.