penniless
Americanadjective
adjective
Synonym Usage
See poor.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of penniless
First recorded in 1275–1325, penniless is from the Middle English word peniles. See penny, -less
Explanation
Someone who's penniless is very poor — they barely have enough money to pay for basics like food and shelter. If you're penniless, it can be tempting to buy a lottery ticket — but your odds of winning are terrible. People who live without enough — either because they've lost a job, had other bad luck, or are experiencing a temporarily poor stage in their lives — can call themselves penniless. Some college students feel penniless, having only enough cash to buy used books for class and eating every meal in the dining hall. This early fourteenth century word comes from the sense of "without even a penny."
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.
When butcher Asser Levy died in Colonial New York, he had gone from penniless immigrant to successful businessperson by meeting the booming city’s food needs.
From MarketWatch ● May 6, 2026
He was a humble guy who some said died penniless.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 17, 2026
Ms. Ypi tells us that the two had been close enough for her grandfather to once offer to settle the penniless Hoxha’s debts with his Parisian landlady.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 30, 2025
Since he’s secretly penniless, Coop keeps up the posture of affluence.
From Salon ● Apr. 11, 2025
Yet the hard, pessimax truth of the matter found her stranded and penniless in a midsized European nation where she did not speak the language, wearing boy’s clothes and smelling of fish.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
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.
