English

Adjective

penniless ‎(not comparable)

1. Not having a penny; utterly impoverished; extremely poor.
   • 1889, Horatio Alger, Driven From Home, ch. 10:

     A dollar and a quarter seems a small sum, but if you are absolutely penniless it might as well be a thousand.

   • 1918, W. B. Maxwell, chapter 17, in The Mirror and the Lamp:

     This time was most dreadful for Lilian. Thrown on her own resources and almost penniless, she maintained herself and paid the rent of a wretched room near the hospital by working as a charwoman, sempstress, anything. In a moment she had dropped to the level of a casual labourer.

Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:impoverished

Translations