impecunious

[ im-pi-kyoo-nee-uhs ]
See synonyms for: impecuniousimpecuniosityimpecuniousness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. having little or no money; penniless; poor.

Origin of impecunious

1
First recorded in 1590–1600; im-2 + obsolete pecunious “wealthy,” from Latin pecūniōsus, equivalent to pecūni(a) “wealth” + -ōsus-ous

synonym study For impecunious

See poor.

Other words for impecunious

Other words from impecunious

  • im·pe·cu·ni·ous·ly, adverb
  • im·pe·cu·ni·ous·ness, im·pe·cu·ni·os·i·ty [im-pi-kyoo-nee-os-i-tee], /ˌɪm pɪˌkyu niˈɒs ɪ ti/, noun

Words Nearby impecunious

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use impecunious in a sentence

  • I'm the only niece of poor but impecunious relatives, and they expect me to do my best and marry well.

    The Gentle Art of Cooking Wives | Elizabeth Strong Worthington
  • And as a single man he had succeeded, being sometimes utterly impecunious, but still with a capacity of living.

    The Prime Minister | Anthony Trollope
  • She had sometimes heard that Everett was impecunious, but that had simply indicated an additional call upon her father.

    The Prime Minister | Anthony Trollope

British Dictionary definitions for impecunious

impecunious

/ (ˌɪmpɪˈkjuːnɪəs) /


adjective
  1. without money; penniless

Origin of impecunious

1
C16: from im- (not) + -pecunious, from Latin pecūniōsus wealthy, from pecūnia money

Derived forms of impecunious

  • impecuniously, adverb
  • impecuniousness or impecuniosity (ˌɪmpɪkjuːnɪˈɒsɪtɪ), noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012