Meanings
alternative dirt poor
- idiomaticnot comparableIn a condition of extreme poverty.
A few years ago it was a dirt-poor outpost populated by rural migrants.
2007 August 4, “A critical election for ‘the best dressed man in Turkey’”, in The Week, 625, 161 more example
In recent months, the dirt-poor peasants of Honduras have invaded farms and blockaded bridges to force the government to fulfill its promises.
1975 August 18, “Religion: Blood and Land”, in TimeAntonyms: filthy rich
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveIn a condition of extreme poverty.
Origin
An inversion of the earlier poor as dirt (compare whip-smart or smart as a whip).
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans brandarm
- brandarmvery poor
Dutch straatarm
- straatarmvery poor
Finnish rutiköyhä
- rutiköyhävery poor
German bettelarm
- bettelarmvery poor
Icelandic bláfátækur
- bláfátækurvery poor
Irish beo bocht
- beo bochtvery poor
Polish przeubogi
- przeubogivery poor
Romanian sărac lipit pământului
- sărac lipit pământuluivery poor
Spanish paupérrimo
- paupérrimovery poor
Cite this entry
dirt-poor. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dirt-poor
“dirt-poor.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dirt-poor. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “dirt-poor,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dirt-poor.
Source: dirt-poor on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.