Meaning of Word
“Destitute” refers to being in a state of extreme poverty or lacking the basic necessities of life, such as food, shelter, and clothing.
Definitions and Meaning in English
- Poverty-Stricken: Lacking the basic necessities of life, such as food, shelter, and money.
- Impoverished: Describes a person or community that is extremely poor or without resources.
- Deprived: Lacking essential things needed for survival or well-being, especially due to a lack of financial resources.
History and Origin
The word “destitute” comes from the Latin destitutus, the past participle of destituere, meaning “to abandon” or “to forsake.” The term evolved in Middle English to describe a state of being abandoned or deprived of necessary resources. Over time, it came to be specifically associated with severe poverty and the lack of basic needs.
Detailed Explanation
“Destitute” describes an extreme level of poverty, where an individual or group has little or no access to basic living essentials like food, shelter, or clothing. It is often used to convey a dire situation where survival is at risk, and there is no support or resources to rely on.
For example, a person who is homeless and without any income could be described as destitute. It is more severe than simply being poor, as it implies a total absence of resources or means for sustenance.
Destitution can be caused by various factors, including unemployment, natural disasters, war, or personal crises. It is often a focus of social support and charity organizations aiming to alleviate extreme poverty.
Example Sentences
- After losing his job and his home, he found himself destitute and living on the streets.
- The charity helps families who are destitute by providing food and shelter.
- The flood left many people destitute, with no access to clean water or food.
- He was destitute after the company went bankrupt and had nowhere to turn for help.
- The war left thousands of people destitute, struggling to survive in makeshift camps.
- The government’s relief program aims to support destitute families in rural areas.
- She felt destitute after losing everything in the fire, with no savings to rebuild her life.
- They are working to provide emergency aid to destitute communities in the region.
- The destitute child wandered the streets, searching for food.
Synonyms with Short Explanation
- Impoverished: Extremely poor, lacking basic necessities, similar to destitute but often used in broader contexts.
- Needy: Lacking sufficient resources or necessities, but less severe than destitute.
- Indigent: A formal term for someone who is very poor and lacks basic needs, often used in legal or social services contexts.
- Penniless: Lacking money and financial resources, often associated with being destitute.
- Beggared: Reduced to poverty or a state of dependence, often referring to someone who must beg for survival.
Related Words with Short Explanation
- Poor: Lacking financial resources, but not necessarily at the extreme level implied by destitute.
- Deprived: Lacking basic necessities, often used in a context of social or economic hardship.
- Homeless: Lacking a stable place to live, often a result of being destitute.
- Vulnerable: In a position of being at risk of harm or hardship, often due to poverty or destitution.
- Struggling: Facing difficulty or hardship, particularly in meeting basic needs.
More Matches with Short Explanation
- Impoverishment: The state or process of becoming destitute or extremely poor.
- Bare: Lacking the basics or necessities, often used to describe minimal survival conditions.
- Desolate: A place or person that is abandoned or in a state of poverty, similar to being destitute.
- Outcast: Someone rejected by society, often because of extreme poverty or lack of resources.
- Forlorn: Describes a state of abandonment and hopelessness, similar to the isolation that often accompanies destitution.
Antonyms
- Affluent: Having an abundance of wealth and resources, the opposite of destitute.
- Wealthy: Having a large amount of financial resources, the opposite of being destitute.
- Comfortable: Having enough financial resources to meet basic and even additional needs, not in poverty.
- Prosperous: Flourishing economically, with ample resources and opportunities.
- Secure: Having stability, particularly in terms of finances and living conditions, the opposite of being destitute.
