go poor

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "go poor" is not correct or usable in written English.
It does not make sense as a phrase. However, you could use the phrase "go bankrupt" in written English. For example, "The business went bankrupt following a string of poor investments."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

"People would go, 'Poor boy! Poor boy!'" The hypocrisy of people behaving like that whilst espousing the Bible's code of not judging others gradually drove the pair into mischief.

The Guardian - Music

If, on the other hand, you do what's expected of you, or what you're supposed to do, and things go poor or chaos ensues — as it surely will — you will look to external sources for what to do next, because that will be the habit you've created for yourself.

The New York Times

"They call horseracing the sport of kings, but even a king could go poor at the track, and a poor man can get rich as a king," said Mr. Alimeni, known as Tony the Dancer, because he used to teach dance.

The New York Times

But experts talk say di wahala don dey spread go poor developing countries wey still dey grow.

BBC

Richard's story of perseverance and ultimate pay-off isn't just applicable to the entertainment industry (although those of us in the liberal arts certainly have a harder time convincing our parents that we won't go poor and sell our kidneys than those in accounting).

Huffington Post

If you're serious about becoming a singer, taking lessons sooner rather than later is the way to go: Poor performance techniques can ruin your singing voice for good!

WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

"Butter 1/6 a lb, bacon 1/4 etc … Arthur Brown has gone – poor Mrs B is quite distracted.

The Guardian

With better skills, the argument goes, poor workers will be more attractive to foreign companies, who will offer them more money.

The Economist

Plus, a wise human once said, "No one ever went poor from giving". I believe that.

HuffPost

As the thinking went, poor countries like Bangladesh would lose millions of jobs and wind up even poorer.

Huffington Post

"It is a poor area, and it has gone poorer due to the blockade and movement restrictions on Gaza".

Unicef

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Instead of using the phrase "go poor", opt for clearer and more grammatically sound alternatives such as "become impoverished" or "fall into poverty".

Common error

While "go" is frequently used to describe changes in condition (e.g., "go bad", "go crazy"), it's generally incorrect to pair it directly with a state like "poor". Using precise vocabulary improves clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "go poor" functions as a verb phrase attempting to describe the action of becoming impoverished. However, Ludwig AI indicates that it is not considered correct English, suggesting it doesn't adhere to standard grammatical structures. While some examples exist, they might be considered non-standard or colloquial.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

43%

Formal & Business

29%

Science

14%

Less common in

Wiki

14%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "go poor" aims to express a decline into poverty, it's generally considered grammatically incorrect in standard English. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, better alternatives such as "become impoverished" or "fall into poverty" should be preferred in formal contexts. Occurring primarily in News & Media, Formal & Business, and Science categories, its usage indicates a tendency towards informality. Therefore, clarity and grammatical correctness can be enhanced by opting for more precise alternatives, ultimately improving communication effectiveness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

become impoverished

Replaces "go" with "become" and uses a more formal synonym for "poor".

be reduced to poverty

Focuses on being brought down to a state of poverty from a previous better condition.

fall into poverty

Emphasizes the process of declining into a state of poverty.

be ruined financially

Highlights the financial aspect of becoming poor.

lose wealth

Focuses on the loss of existing financial resources.

become broke

Uses a more informal term to describe becoming financially ruined.

end up destitute

Highlights the potential outcome of extreme poverty.

become penniless

Stresses the lack of any money or assets.

experience financial hardship

Softens the impact, indicating difficulty rather than complete impoverishment.

meet with financial ruin

Implies that the impoverishment is due to unfortunate circumstances.

FAQs

What can I say instead of "go poor"?

You can use alternatives like "become impoverished", "fall into poverty", or "lose wealth" depending on the context.

Is "go poor" grammatically correct?

No, "go poor" is not considered grammatically correct in standard English. It's better to use phrases like "become poor" or "fall into poverty".

How to use "become impoverished" in a sentence?

You can use "become impoverished" in a sentence like: "Many families become impoverished due to job losses and economic downturns".

What's the difference between "go bankrupt" and "go poor"?

"Go bankrupt" refers specifically to a legal declaration of inability to pay debts, while "go poor" aims to describe a general decline in financial status. However, "go bankrupt" is grammatically correct and the other is not.