penury

noun
UK: /ˈpenjʊri/
US: /ˈpenjəri/

  1. The state of being very poor; extreme poverty.

    1. The family lived in penury after losing their jobs.
    2. His early life of penury instilled in him a lifelong aversion to debt and financial risk due to his hardships.

Synonyms

poverty destitution indigence want

Frequently Asked Questions

The phonetic transcription of "penury" is /ˈpenjʊri/ in British English and /ˈpenjəri/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "penury": poverty, destitution, indigence, want.

Example usage of "penury": "The family lived in penury after losing their jobs.". More examples on the page.