penniless

Meaning

Lacking even the smallest amount of money.

Synonyms

indigent

broke

moneyless

poor

needy

impecunious

destitute

poverty-stricken

hard up

in straitened circumstances

necessitous

impoverished

insolvent

penurious

pinched

pauperized

scanty

skint

unfunded

vacant

void

very poor

dire poverty

cleaned outless

extremely poor

without anything

quite poor

utterly destitute

belly-up

cleared out

bankrupt

without a penny

bare

broken

deprived

destitude

empty

flat

flat broke

flat out

hollow

in the red

light

miserable

out-of-pocket

pauper

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈpɛ.nɪ.ləs/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: penyles

Cognate with Old Norse: penningalauss

In summary

From Middle English penyles, penylees; equivalent to penny + -less. Compare Old Norse penningalauss (“penniless”).