Penury

Pronunciation: /ˈpɛn.jʊr.i/

Definitions of penury

noun extreme poverty; destitution

Example Sentences

A1 Many people in the village live in penury.

A2 The family's penury forced them to rely on food banks for assistance.

B1 The economic crisis led to widespread penury in the region.

B2 Despite his penury, he remained hopeful for a better future.

C1 The author's novel delves into the themes of penury and resilience.

C2 The documentary shed light on the systemic causes of penury in society.

Examples of penury in a Sentence

formal The family fell into penury after the main breadwinner lost their job.

informal They were living in penury before they hit the jackpot in the lottery.

slang I'm so broke, I'm practically in penury.

figurative His soul was in a state of penury, lacking the richness of experience and emotion.

Grammatical Forms of penury

• plural: penuries
• comparative: more penurious
• superlative: most penurious
• present tense: endure penury
• future tense: will experience penury
• perfect tense: have experienced penury
• continuous tense: is experiencing penury
• singular: penury
• positive degree: penurious
• infinitive: to experience penury
• gerund: experiencing penury
• participle: experienced penury

Origin and Evolution of penury

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'penury' originated from the Latin word 'penuria' meaning scarcity or need.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'penury' has retained its original meaning of extreme poverty or destitution, but has also come to be used more broadly to describe a state of extreme scarcity or deprivation.