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definitions

impoverish

[ im-pov-er-ish, -pov-rish ]
/ ɪmˈpɒv ər ɪʃ, -ˈpɒv rɪʃ /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR impoverish ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to reduce to poverty: a country impoverished by war.
to make poor in quality, productiveness, etc.; exhaust the strength or richness of: Bad farming practices impoverished the soil.

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RELATED WORDS

exhaust, ruin, deplete, bankrupt

Nearby words

  1. imposure,
  2. impotence,
  3. impotent,
  4. impound,
  5. impoundment,
  6. impoverished,
  7. impoverishment,
  8. impower,
  9. impracticable,
  10. impractical

Origin of impoverish

1400–50; late Middle English empoverishen < Middle French empovriss- (long stem of empovrir), equivalent to em- em-1 + povre poor + -iss -ish2
ANTONYMS FOR impoverish
1, 2. enrich.
SEE MORE ANTONYMS FOR impoverish ON THESAURUS.COM
Related formsim·pov·er·ish·er, nounim·pov·er·ish·ment, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for impoverish

British Dictionary definitions for impoverish

impoverish

/ (ɪmˈpɒvərɪʃ) /

verb (tr)

to make poor or diminish the quality ofto impoverish society by cutting the grant to the arts
to deprive (soil, etc) of fertility
Derived Formsimpoverisher, nounimpoverishment, noun

Word Origin for impoverish

C15: from Old French empovrir, from povre poor
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
Word Origin and History for impoverish

impoverish

v.

early 15c., empoverischen, from Old French empoveriss-, stem of empoverir, from em- + povre "poor" (see poor). Related: Impoverished; impoverishing.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper