the have-nots

IPA/ðə ˈhæv nɒts/
IPA/ðə ˈhæv nɑːts/

the have-nots — noun

1. people who are poor and have very little money, property, or other material good

1.名詞B2
釋義

people who are poor and have very little money, property, or other material goods — used especially when comparing them with the richer members of society, who are called 'the haves'

例句

The gap between the haves and the have-nots keeps growing in many large cities.

contrast construction: the haves and the have-nots

New government programs are trying to help the have-nots find stable housing and jobs.

collocation: help the have-nots

同義詞
  • the poor

    more direct and widely used; 'the have-nots' is more specific to inequality discourse

  • the disadvantaged

    broader meaning — includes lack of education, opportunities, and social status, not just money

  • the underprivileged

    more formal register; suggests lack of social advantages beyond income

  • the needy

    focuses on those who lack basic necessities such as food and shelter

反義詞
  • the haves

    direct opposite; the two terms are almost always used together in the contrast 'the haves and the have-nots'

  • the rich

    more general term for wealthy people

文法句型

the have-nots + plural verb

用法筆記

Always used in the plural form with the definite article 'the'. Singular use ('a have-not') is extremely rare and would sound unusual to native speakers. The phrase often appears in the paired contrast 'the haves and the have-nots', which describes economic inequality in a society.

常見錯誤

❌The government should help the have nots.
✅The government should help the have-nots.
💡The compound requires a hyphen between 'have' and 'nots'.
❌He is a have-not who lives on the street.
✅He is one of the have-nots who live on the street.
💡Singular use is non-standard; the phrase is almost always plural.
❌The have-nots needs more support from the government.
✅The have-nots need more support from the government.
💡Despite ending in '-s', the phrase is plural and takes a plural verb.