Impoverish
To cause someone or something to become poor or poorer in income, resources, or quality.
verbImpoverish
To cause someone or something to become poor or poorer in income, resources, or quality.
verbImagine This
Imagine a once-thriving village whose factories close, jobs disappear, and savings are exhausted; the town's shops shutter, houses fade, and families become impoverished as wealth drains away.
Sounds Like
im-POV-uh-rish
Looks Like
looks like 'poverish' (not a standalone word); shares root with poverty.
Remember This
The root 'pover-' comes from 'poor' (as in poverty). The prefix 'im-' means 'into' or 'toward', so impoverish literally means to push into poverty.
Other Forms
Connect With
poverty, deprivation, destitution, decline, depletion
Note
Avoid confusing with 'poverish' (not commonly used in modern English); the standard verb is 'impoverish'.