Impoverish

(Adjective): Describing a state of being poor or depleted .

: To drive a person or community into poverty . For example, natural disasters or predatory policies can impoverish entire populations . impoverish

(Noun): The act or state of being made poor . Examples in Context (Adjective): Describing a state of being poor or depleted

The word stems from the Old French empovrir , combining the prefix en- (into) with povre (poor) . : It is a verb . Related Forms : (Noun): The act or state of being made poor

: To deplete a natural resource of its essential qualities . Poor farming techniques can impoverish the soil , stripping it of the nutrients needed for crops to grow .

: To weaken the quality or value of something . One might argue that removing arts from a curriculum would impoverish our culture . Etymology and Usage