penniless

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Dodsworth, best known for presenting the weather on ITV Wales, said she later discovered she had been left "absolutely penniless" and with debts in her name that she "knew nothing about".

From BBC • May 19, 2026

When butcher Asser Levy died in Colonial New York, he had gone from penniless immigrant to successful businessperson by meeting the booming city’s food needs.

From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026

“Flummoxed by the lack of resources”—in other words, aware that a penniless Uganda needed to reform or collapse—he “comfortably settled” into the role of Western lackey.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 15, 2025

Since he’s secretly penniless, Coop keeps up the posture of affluence.

From Salon • Apr. 11, 2025

I was penniless, stripped of the power that even a few coins bestow.

From "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine