penury

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "penury" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to refer to a state of extreme poverty or destitution. For example: "The once-wealthy family was reduced to a state of penury after their fall from grace."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

There was not much money to spare but it was not penury.

The Guardian

Officials insist they are moving as fast as they can to overhaul their labour laws and improve conditions for construction workers, who face privation, penury and harsh restrictions on workplace rights in the Gulf state.

The Guardian

With his club still in penury, manager John Askey revealed that the £67,000 prize money guaranteed by a win against Championship strugglers Sheffield Wednesday would help a club and players "that are barely surviving week to week" stay afloat for another few months.

The Guardian - Sport

It needs to be jolted out of any belief that Greeks can be made to return mostly Germany's reckless loans by being plunged into perpetual penury.

The Guardian - Opinion

It was also on the road to penury, thanks to Mutharika's increasingly eccentric economic policies and his alienation of the foreign donors upon which Malawi relies.

The Guardian

The more pessimistic fear a drift towards becoming the next North Korea a regime that brandishes nuclear weapons at the outside world while its people slide into penury.

The Economist

Half of the population is in penury, and half is under 16 years old.

The Economist

Queuing and penury have become a way of life.Back in my hotel, the hardship of daily life in Zimbabwe usually vanishes.

The Economist

These places contain pockets of penury: unemployment in inner Chicago, for instance, is twice the average for the remainder of the city.

The Economist

Yet in California, where independent lobbies were spending freely in campaigns even before the Supreme Court recently allowed it, penury need not spell political death.

The Economist

Paddy Ashdown, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, accused Mr Blair of a "scandalous" decision to proceed with Tory legislation, which he said sought to "deter asylum-seekers by treating them with a mixture of delay, penury and injustice".

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "penury" to add a formal and somewhat literary tone when describing extreme poverty. Consider your audience and the overall style of your writing.

Common error

Avoid using "penury" in informal contexts; it can sound overly pretentious. Opt for simpler terms like "poverty" or "hardship" in casual conversations.

Linguistic Context

The word "penury" functions primarily as a noun, denoting a state of extreme poverty or destitution. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage in written English. Examples show it describing societal and individual financial hardship.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Formal & Business

20%

Science

15%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "penury" is a grammatically correct noun that denotes extreme poverty or destitution. Ludwig AI validates its usage in written English. It is most frequently found in news and media, formal, and scientific contexts, indicating a formal register. When writing, consider using "penury" to add a literary tone when describing severe financial hardship, but avoid using it in informal conversations. Alternatives like "extreme poverty" or "destitution" may be more appropriate depending on the context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

extreme poverty

This alternative is more descriptive and less formal than "penury".

extreme destitution

This alternative emphasizes the state of being without basic necessities.

abject poverty

This alternative highlights the degrading conditions of poverty.

severe impoverishment

This alternative focuses on the process of becoming poor.

dire straits

This alternative emphasizes the urgency and severity of the situation.

financial ruin

This alternative focuses on the loss of financial stability.

state of indigence

This alternative is a more formal way of expressing poverty.

lack of resources

This alternative is a more general term for not having enough.

impoverishment

This alternative focuses on the process of becoming poor.

economic hardship

This alternative emphasizes the economic aspect of the difficulty.

FAQs

How to use "penury" in a sentence?

"Penury" typically describes a state of extreme poverty. For example, "The economic crisis plunged many families into "penury"."

What can I say instead of "penury"?

You can use alternatives like "extreme poverty", "destitution", or "impoverishment" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "penury" or "poverty"?

Both "penury" and "poverty" refer to a state of lacking resources, but "penury" describes a more extreme and often prolonged state of impoverishment. "Poverty" is a more general term.

What's the difference between "penury" and "scarcity"?

"Penury" specifically refers to extreme poverty and destitution, while "scarcity" refers to a general lack or shortage of something, not necessarily related to poverty.