Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

dirt-poor

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.18 in modern English

Syllables: dirt-poor
IPA

11

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

In a condition of extreme poverty.

Example Sentences

"In recent months, the dirt-poor peasants of Honduras have invaded farms and blockaded bridges to force the government to fulfill its promises."
"A few years ago it was a dirt-poor outpost populated by rural migrants."

Etymology

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

Inflected Forms

dirt poor (alternative)

Antonyms

filthy rich

Questions

What does dirt-poor mean?: In a condition of extreme poverty.
Where does dirt-poor come from?: An inversion of the earlier poor as dirt (compare whip-smart or smart as a whip).

How to pronounce dirt-poor

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “dirt-poor”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “dirt-poor”.
Repeat and practice — Say “dirt-poor” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.