poverty-stricken

poverty-stricken
ˈpoverty-ˌstricken adjective
extremely poor:
    poverty-stricken families
     

THESAURUS

   ▪ poor having very little money and not many possessions – used about people or places: Many families were too poor to pay for education. | poor countries
   ▪ hard up/broke (also skint British English) [not before noun] informal having very little money, especially for a short period of time. Skint is more informal than the other words: I’m a bit hard up at the moment | We were so broke we couldn’t afford to go out to the cinema.
   ▪ developing [only before noun] a developing country is poor and has very little industry: The disease is found mainly in developing countries. | the developing world
   ▪ deprived [usually before noun] much poorer than other people in a country, and not having the things that are necessary for a comfortable or happy life – used about people and areas: The charity works with deprived children in the inner city. | one of the most deprived areas of London
   ▪ disadvantaged especially written used about groups of people in society who have much less chance of being successful because they are poor: An increase in the minimum wage would help the most disadvantaged Americans.
   ▪ needy having very little money, and so needing help – used about groups of people: More help should be given to needy families. | We offer scholarships for needy students.
   ▪ destitute especially written having no money or possessions and nowhere to live – used when someone is in a very bad situation: Her family was left destitute after her father died. | destitute refugees
   ▪ impoverished formal impoverished people and places are very poor: out-of-work miners and their impoverished families | The children come from impoverished neighbourhoods. | one of the world’s most impoverished countries
   ▪ poverty-stricken written extremely poor: poverty-stricken areas | They were left poverty-stricken.
   ▪ penniless especially literary having no money: She died penniless. | a penniless student