penniless
Americanadjective
adjective
Synonym Usage
See poor.
Other Word Forms
Derived 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.
Cardiff Crown Court heard on Thursday Nasir, freed in January, could not pay any more because she was on benefits and all but penniless.
From BBC • May 7, 2026
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
Born June 11, 1928 in Massillon, Ohio, one of three sons to Hester and Titus Bamberger, John David Bamberger grew up penniless, with no electricity or running water.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026
Its inhabitants are those of “there will always be an England” England: stern vicars, timid curates, lords and earls, penniless titled wastrels living on allowances from their uncles, imperious aunts, upper-crust twits.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2025
When Nina had arrived in Ketterdam a year ago, she’d been friendless, penniless, and far from home.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
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.
