impoverish
Drain of resources
To impoverish is to make poor.
Governments or economic conditions impoverish populations; disasters impoverish families.
The word extends beyond money: soil becomes impoverished when stripped of nutrients, and a culture is impoverished when it loses traditions or diversity.
Years of drought impoverished the farming communities.
The budget cuts impoverished the school's arts program.
Narrow elongated piece
- divestRid of assets
- dispossessDeprive of property
- disenfranchiseRevoke civic participation rights
- bereaveTake by death
expropriate · rob · plunder · confiscate · seize · deprive · denude · despoil
Utterly without means
- indigentExtremely poor, lacking necessities
- bankruptUnable to repay debts
- insolventUnable to pay debts
- penuryExtreme lack of money
needy · underprivileged · disadvantaged · hand-to-mouth · beggarly · struggling · subsistence · hardship
Reduce in strength
- degradeLower in standing
- undermineWeaken by stealth
- debilitateTo make weak
- enfeebleMake feeble or frail
compromise · reduce · lessen · deteriorate · damage · impair · cheapen · debase
strip
Narrow elongated piece
- divestRid of assets
- dispossessDeprive of property
- disenfranchiseRevoke civic participation rights
bereave · expropriate · rob · plunder · confiscate · seize · deprive · denude · despoil · pillage
exhaust
Use up entirely
diminish · empty · reduce · spend · squander · dwindle · erode · leach · siphon · extract
destitute
Utterly without means
- indigentExtremely poor, lacking necessities
- bankruptUnable to repay debts
- insolventUnable to pay debts
penury · needy · underprivileged · disadvantaged · hand-to-mouth · beggarly · struggling · subsistence · hardship · want
weaken
Reduce in strength
- degradeLower in standing
- undermineWeaken by stealth
- debilitateTo make weak
enfeeble · compromise · reduce · lessen · deteriorate · damage · impair · cheapen · debase · dilute
barren
Unable to produce
- fallowUnplanted field recovering
- infertileUnable to produce offspring
- unproductiveFailing to achieve results
sterile · arid · depleted · exhausted · overfarmed · degraded · eroded · leached · stripped · worn out
- depletedeplete, drain, exhaust, use up, consume
- exploitationexploit, predatory, sex trafficking, take advantage, human trafficking
impoverishenrich
Improve by adding value
endow · prosper · aggrandize · capitalize · fund
impoverishempower
Grant authority or confidence
strengthen · power · invigorate · fortify · bolster