INDIGENT Synonyms: 97 Similar and Opposite Words

indigent 1 of 2

adjective

ˈin-di-jənt

Definition of indigent

as in impoverished

lacking money or material possessions because he was indigent, the court appointed a lawyer to represent him

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

indigent

2 of 2

noun

as in pauper

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of indigent

Adjective

Lee was initially found indigent and unable to afford an attorney, so the court assigned the county’s conflicts panel to represent him. — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 18 June 2026 Declared indigent, he was represented by a series of Broward public defenders until the office asked to be removed from the case, citing a conflict of interest. — Brittany Wallman, Miami Herald, 13 June 2026

Noun

Lower than proletariat workers, the lumpenproletariat includes the indigent and the unemployable, those cast out of the workforce with no recourse, or those who can’t enter it in the first place, such as young workers in times of economic depression. — Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for indigent

Recent Examples of Synonyms for indigent

Adjective

Since then, the military have kept her exact whereabouts and condition secret as a deadly civil war has engulfed much of the impoverished Southeast Asian nation.

— Helen Regan, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026
But for those who don’t see the unhoused, impoverished or vulnerable as human, deserving of rights or even life, Heimbach has some advice.

— Trevor Morgan, Sacbee.com, 24 July 2026

Definition of impoverished

Noun

After Blake Street Cemetery stopped accepting new burials in 1931, New Haven began relying on another paupers’ cemetery located on Woodin Street.

— John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 20 July 2026
That honest job has, across four generations, fed prime ministers and paupers, cooked for the King and Queen, and quietly funded a one-man legal aid service for survivors of abuse.

— Afdhel Aziz, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

Definition of pauper

Adjective

Covid-19 wasn’t immediately recognized as a disease with airborne transmission with the potential to spread beyond the 6-foot social distancing measure, especially in places with poor ventilation or around activities with heavy breathing.

— Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
Crepe myrtles may not bloom due to poor pruning, low light, watering issues, weak soil, or pests.

— Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of poor

Noun

Historically in Chicago, parent fundraising has been a story of have versus have-not schools, a dynamic threatening to drive deeper inequity in a segregated district.

— Mila Koumpilova, Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2026
Often, football is described as a game of haves and have-nots.

— Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 11 June 2026

Definition of have-not

Browse Nearby Words

indigenous

indigent

indigents

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Indigent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/indigent. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of indigent

adjective

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on indigent

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

anecdote

Popular in Grammar & Usage

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?

Popular

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes