impoverish
verb
im·pov·er·ish
im-ˈpä-v(ə-)rish 
impoverished; impoverishing; impoverishes
1
: to make poor
2
: to deprive of strength, richness, or fertility by depleting or draining of something essential
impoverisher
noun
Examples of impoverish in a Sentence
The dictator enriched himself but impoverished his people.
Poor farming practices impoverished the soil.
Recent Examples on the Web
Fans of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán—a small-time autocrat who has impoverished his country, now one of the poorest in Europe, while enriching his family and friends—make common cause with Americans who have broken the law, gone to jail, stolen from their own charities, or harassed women.
—
Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2025
With a not insubstantial piece of Mexico’s economy reliant on production stateside, a cessation of those inflows will logically impoverish a big number of those formerly sustained directly by remittances.
—John Tamny, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025
Their families have also been impoverished by a regime whose leaders have been sanctioned by the U.S. and others for narco-terrorism, corruption, and drug smuggling.
—Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 22 Dec. 2024
Though impoverished by war, the country has also developed an impressive defense-tech sector.
—Niall Ferguson, The Atlantic, 10 Dec. 2024
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Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2025
With a not insubstantial piece of Mexico’s economy reliant on production stateside, a cessation of those inflows will logically impoverish a big number of those formerly sustained directly by remittances.
—John Tamny, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025
Their families have also been impoverished by a regime whose leaders have been sanctioned by the U.S. and others for narco-terrorism, corruption, and drug smuggling.
—Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 22 Dec. 2024
Though impoverished by war, the country has also developed an impressive defense-tech sector.
—Niall Ferguson, The Atlantic, 10 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for impoverish
Dictionary Entries Near impoverish
Cite this Entry
“Impoverish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impoverish. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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impoverish
verb
im·pov·er·ish
im-ˈpäv-(ə-)rish
1
: to make poor
2
: to use up the strength or richness of
impoverished soil
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