Poor vs. Broke — What's the Difference?
Difference Between Poor and Broke
ADVERTISEMENT
Compare with Definitions
Poor
Having insufficient wealth to meet the necessities or comforts of life or to live in a manner considered acceptable in a society.
Broke
Past tense of break.
Poor
Relating to or characterized by poverty
The poor side of town.
Broke
(Nonstandard)A past participle of break.
Poor
Deficient or lacking in a specified resource or quality
An area poor in timber and coal.
A diet poor in calcium.
ADVERTISEMENT
Broke
Bankrupt.
Poor
Not adequate in quality or quantity; inferior
A poor performance.
Poor wages.
Broke
Lacking funds
"an organization that gets increasingly obscure and broke with each passing year" (Dean Bakopoulos).
Poor
Negative, unfavorable, or disapproving
Has a poor opinion of the mayor.
Broke
Inflection of break
Poor
Undernourished; lean. Used especially of animals.
Broke
To act as a broker; to transact business for another; broker#Verb.
Agents broking with various other carriers can offer additional options
Poor
Humble; meek
"Let the humble ones arise, the poor in heart be glad" (John Greenleaf Whittier).
Broke
(obsolete) To act as procurer in love matters; to pimp.
Poor
Eliciting or deserving pity; pitiable
Couldn't rescue the poor fellow.
Broke
(informal) Financially ruined, bankrupt.
Poor
Poor people considered as a group
The urban poor are in need of homes.
Broke
(informal) Without any money, penniless.
Dead broke; flat broke
Poor
With no or few possessions or money, particularly in relation to contemporaries who do have them.
We were so poor that we couldn't afford shoes.
Broke
Broken.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Poor
Of low quality.
That was a poor performance.
Broke
(nautical) Demoted, deprived of a commission.
He was broke and rendered unfit to serve His Majesty at sea.
Poor
Used to express pity.
Oh you poor little thing.
Broke
(slang) Broke off, rich, wealthy
Poor
Deficient in a specified way.
Cow's milk is poor in iron.
Broke
(papermaking) Paper or board that is discarded and repulped during the manufacturing process.
Poor
Inadequate, insufficient.
I received a poor reward for all my hard work.
Broke
(obsolete) A fragment, remains, a piece broken off.
Poor
Free from self-assertion; not proud or arrogant; meek.
Broke
To transact business for another.
Poor
(plural only) The poor people of a society or the world collectively, the poor class of a society.
The sun shines on the rich and the poor alike but, come the rain, the rich have better umbrellas.
The poor are always with us.
The rich are often so insulated from reality that they think the poor have extra money they could save for more than a short time.
Broke
To act as procurer in love matters; to pimp.
We do want a certain necessary woman to broke between them, Cupid said.
And brokes with all that can in such a suitCorrupt the tender honor of a maid.
Poor
A poor person.
The poors are at it again.
Broke
Lacking funds;
`skint' is a British slang term
Poor
(obsolete) poor cod.
Poor
Synonym of impoverish, to make poor.
Poor
To become poor.
Poor
(obsolete) To call poor.
Poor
Destitute of property; wanting in material riches or goods; needy; indigent.
Poor
So completely destitute of property as to be entitled to maintenance from the public.
Poor
Destitute of such qualities as are desirable, or might naturally be expected
That I have wronged no man will be a poor plea or apology at the last day.
Poor
Worthy of pity or sympathy; - used also sometimes as a term of endearment, or as an expression of modesty, and sometimes as a word of contempt.
And for mine own poor part,Look you, I'll go pray.
Poor, little, pretty, fluttering thing.
Poor
Free from self-assertion; not proud or arrogant; meek.
Poor
A small European codfish (Gadus minutus); - called also power cod.
Poor
Moderate to inferior in quality;
They improved the quality from mediocre to above average
He would make a poor spy
Poor
Deserving or inciting pity;
A hapless victim
Miserable victims of war
The shabby room struck her as extraordinarily pathetic
Piteous appeals for help
Pitiable homeless children
A pitiful fate
Oh, you poor thing
His poor distorted limbs
A wretched life
Poor
Having little money or few possessions;
Deplored the gap between rich and poor countries
The proverbial poor artist living in a garret
Poor
Characterized by or indicating lack of money;
The country had a poor economy
Poor
Low in degree;
Expectations were poor
Poor
Badly supplied with desirable qualities or substances;
A poor land
The area was poor in timber and coal
Food poor in nutritive value
Poor
Not sufficient to meet a need;
An inadequate income
A poor salary
Money is short
On short rations
Food is in short supply
Short on experience
Poor
Unsatisfactory;
A poor light for reading
Poor morale
Poor
Yielding little by great labor;
A hardscrabble farm
Poor soil
Share Your Discovery
Previous Comparison
Flannel vs. TweedNext Comparison
Druid vs. Elf