Vocabulary in context
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Penury
Extreme poverty; the state of lacking the basic necessities of life such as food, shelter, and clothing.
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Imagine This
During the Great Depression, migrant workers had to work for hours to earn a few pennies, for poverty was everywhere.
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Sounds Like
PEN-yuh-ree
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Looks Like
Penny (a copper coin that is worth very little)
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Remember This
Penury comes from Latin penuria meaning 'poverty, want'; it is a formal, literary term. The related adjective penurious describes someone extremely penny-pinching or poverty-stricken.
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Other Forms
Penuriousadjective
Penuriouslyadverb
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Connect With
destitution, indigence, poverty, want, deprivation
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Note
Penury is a noun used to describe severe poverty. It is more common in literary or formal writing. Do not confuse with ‘penurious,’ which describes stinginess or frugality in addition to poverty. The plural is not typically used.
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Study Deeper
Examples
- The country fell into penury after the long recession.
- After losing his job, he sank into penury and could no longer afford medical care.
Synonyms
destitutionpovertyindigenceprivationwant
Antonyms
prosperitywealthaffluenceopulence
Etymology
From Latin penuria 'poverty, want', via Old French penurie; ultimately from a Latin root meaning scarcity or lack.
Mnemonic
PENURY: Think 'pennies hurry' — when pennies hurry away, you end up in penury.
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Belittle
verbTo make someone or something seem less important, impressive, or valuable than they actually are; to disparage or minimize the value or contributions of someone or something.
Tinsel
nounA shiny decorative strip or thread of metal or plastic used for festive ornamentation; also, something that appears glamorous but is superficial.
Inaudible
adjectiveNot able to be heard; too quiet, distant, or muffled to be perceived by the ear.
Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Indigence
nounExtreme poverty or destitution; the state of lacking the basic resources needed for living.
Abasement
nounThe act or instance of humiliating or degrading someone; the state of being lowered in dignity or status.
Absurdity
nounThe quality or state of being wildly unreasonable, illogical, or ridiculous; something that is completely contrary to reason or common sense.
Accent
nounA distinctive way of pronouncing words; the act of emphasizing a syllable or word (as a verb, to accent means to emphasize).
Accolade
nounAn honor; a public expression of praise or an award.
Acrimony
nounBitterness of speech or manner; ill feeling
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