destitute
Americanadjective
-
without means of subsistence; lacking food, clothing, and shelter.
- Synonyms:
- impoverished, penniless, necessitous, indigent, poor, needy
- Antonyms:
- affluent
-
deprived of, devoid of, or lacking (often followed byof ).
destitute of children.
- Synonyms:
- deficient
verb (used with object)
adjective
-
lacking the means of subsistence; totally impoverished
-
completely lacking; deprived or bereft (of)
destitute of words
-
obsolete abandoned or deserted
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of destitute
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin dēstitūtus (past participle of dēstituere to abandon, deprive of support), equivalent to dē- de- + stit- place, put (combining form of statuere; see statute) + -ū- thematic vowel + -tus past participle suffix
Explanation
When you think of the word destitute, which means poor or lacking other necessities of life, think of someone who is in desperate straits. A very, very tight budget is poor. Living on the streets is destitute. Destitute essentially means not having something. When you're destitute in the sense of being poor, you're technically "destitute of money." You can be destitute of other things as well. If all your friends have abandoned you, you're "destitute of friends." If you are applying for a job as a waitress but have never worked in a restaurant in any capacity, you're "destitute of experience."
Vocabulary lists containing destitute
A Christmas Carol
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Hamilton
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The quake destroyed over 12,000 homes, official data shows, making thousands of families destitute.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
Wilcox said some Manchester Arena survivors had become destitute after losing their income and that lawyers had often been left arranging support that should have come from the state.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
“We have a socioeconomic problem in Rio de Janeiro—we have very wealthy people, and we have very destitute people,” Moscatelli says.
From Slate ● May 27, 2026
Are there habits from those early days as a destitute young woman that you haven’t fully shed?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026
Another famed oilman in Oklahoma quickly burned through $50 million and ended up destitute.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
He was sorter destituted and not a bit up-to-date.
From Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves South Carolina Narratives, Part 2 by Work Projects Administration
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
