destitute

[ des-ti-toot, -tyoot ]

adjective

1. without means of subsistence; lacking food, clothing, and shelter.

   Synonyms: impoverished, penniless, necessitous, indigent, poor, needy

   Antonyms: affluent

2. deprived of, devoid of, or lacking (often followed by of ):

   destitute of children.

   Synonyms: deficient

verb (used with object)

, des·ti·tut·ed, des·ti·tut·ing.

1. to leave destitute.

destitute

/ ˈdɛstɪˌtjuːt /

adjective

1. lacking the means of subsistence; totally impoverished
2. postpositivefoll byof completely lacking; deprived or bereft (of)

   destitute of words

3. obsolete.
   abandoned or deserted

Derived Forms

• ˈdestiˌtuteness, noun

Other Words From

• desti·tutely adverb
• desti·tuteness noun
• pre·desti·tute adjective
• un·desti·tute adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of destitute¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin dēstitūtus (past participle of dēstituere to abandon, deprive of support), equivalent to dē- de- + stit- place, put (combining form of statuere; statute ) + -ū- thematic vowel + -tus past participle suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of destitute¹

C14: from Latin dēstitūtus forsaken, from dēstituere to leave alone, from statuere to place

Example Sentences

Like millions of others, they are destitute, often hungry, living in a tent at al-Mawasi, a desolate area of sand dunes.

From BBC

He said that “too many of our country’s citizens live destitute lives” on the street and that any solution must address their mental health needs and bring services to people before they become unhoused.

From Los Angeles Times

Sam Faiers from ITV’s The Only Way is Essex became a PRC ambassador, and last September was taken to Uganda to meet orphaned and destitute children.

From BBC

Here, destitute migrants from around the world bide time as they wait for the opportunity to request asylum at the U.S. border.

From Los Angeles Times

I was now the servant of a destitute man.

From Literature

Related Words

• bankrupt
• exhausted
• impoverished
• indigent
• insolvent
• needy
• penniless
• poor
• poverty-stricken
• strapped