poverty
noun [ U ] uk/ˈpɒv.ə.ti/ us/ˈpɑː.vɚ.t̬i/
B2 贫困，贫穷
the condition of being extremely poor
Two million people in the city live in abject (= very great) poverty. 这个城市有两百万人生活在赤贫中。
He emigrated to Australia to escape the grinding (= very great) poverty of his birthplace. 他为了逃避出生地极为贫困的生活移民到了澳大利亚。
Helping to alleviate poverty in developing countries also helps to reduce environmental destruction. 帮助缓解发展中国家的贫困也有助于减少对环境的破坏。
a poverty of something formal …的贫乏，…的缺少；…的劣质
a lack of something or when the quality of something is extremely low
There is a disappointing poverty of creativity in their work. 他们的工作缺乏创造性，令人失望。
The election was marked by a poverty of ideas on both sides.
These young people suffer from a poverty of ambition.
Rents are high because of a poverty of housing stock.
Our national football team has been hampered by a poverty of emerging talent.
- More examples
- The problem of poverty is particularly acute in rural areas.
- The closure of the factory brought poverty to the town .
- When is the government going to tackle the problem of poverty in the inner cities?
- I've never witnessed such extremes of wealth and poverty.
- The problems of poverty, homelessness and unemployment are all interconnected.