pov•er•ty noun noun: poverty the state of being extremely poor.“in USA, thousands of individuals and families are living in deep poverty” Synonyms: hardship, dearth, exclusion, distress, debt,disadvantaged, scarcity, embarrassment, fear, dependency, underprivileged. Poverty 101: looking for advice, tips and resources to promote understanding and reflect. Learn more about poverty issues in the USA as a READ MORE