destitute
Definitions
Extremely poor; lacking the basic necessities of life.
穷困潦倒的，一无所有的。
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedde- (down, away) + stit (a form of st, 'stand/set') = 'set down and abandoned.' Latin dēstituere meant to set someone down and walk away — to forsake them. A destitute person has been left standing with nothing, deserted by fortune and support.
Root st still carries 376 more wordsWhy It Means This
The journey from 'set down' to 'penniless' runs through abandonment. To be destitute is literally to have been 'placed apart' and left — first of allies, then of resources. English narrowed it to the harshest sense: utterly without money or shelter.
Common Collocations
- 1.destitute family贫困家庭
- 2.left destitute陷入赤贫
- 3.destitute refugees贫困难民
Example Sentences
- 1.
The war left thousands of families destitute and homeless.
- 2.
After the business failed, he was left completely destitute.
- 3.
Charities work to support destitute refugees.
Synonym Comparison
- destitute — the extreme: utterly without money or necessities
- poor — general, broadest term for lacking money
- needy — lacking necessities, often used of those deserving aid
- impoverished — made poor, emphasizes the process of becoming poor
- penniless — having no money at all, often temporary