poverty ['pɔvəti] n.贫困, 贫乏, 劣质例句:Although she was poor, she was living in genteel poverty. 尽管她贫穷,但她总想装出上流社会阶层的样子。The novel is a searing indictment of urban poverty. 这部小说是对城市贫困的震撼心灵的控诉。People in this area were ground down by hunger and poverty. 这个地区的人们受着饥饿和贫穷的折磨。讲解:【词源解说】1175年进入英语,直接源自古法语的poverte;最初源自古典拉丁语的paupertatem,意为贫穷。