impoverish
Translation
to make poor, to make worse in quality
Examples
The war impoverished the country.
The war impoverished the country.
Overfarming can impoverish the soil.
Overfarming can impoverish the soil.
Grammar Patterns
((sb./sth.)) to make (sb./sth.) poor or weaker The war impoverished the country.
Similar Words
Synonyms: make poor, ruin; Antonyms: enrich, improve
Etymology
From the prefix 'im-' (in, into) and Old French 'povre' (poor). Literally 'to make poor'.
Memory Tips
Think 'in poverty'. To impoverish someone or something is to put them 'in poverty'.