Standard Lemma guide

dirt-poor

adj · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

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Pronunciation

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1

adj

Meaning 1

In a condition of extreme poverty.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: filthy rich

History

Etymology

An inversion of the earlier poor as dirt (compare whip-smart or smart as a whip).

Across languages

Translations

8 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: brandarm — very poor
  • Dutch: straatarm — very poor
  • Finnish: rutiköyhä — very poor
  • German: bettelarm — very poor
  • Icelandic: bláfátækur — very poor
  • Irish: beo bocht — very poor
  • Polish: przeubogi — very poor
  • Spanish: paupérrimo — very poor