French Conversation · Level 63
76 words
French word
démuni
Pronunciation
IPA/demyni/
Meaning
- adjectivepoor
Example
La famille est démunie après la tempête.
The family is poor after the storm.
More examples
Après la fermeture de l'usine, un employé s'est retrouvé démuni.
After the factory closed, an employee found himself impoverished.
Core concept
A person with an almost empty supply of money and practical means.
Common phrases
être démuni
be poor
démuni de ressources
lacking resources
ménage démuni
impoverished household
Similar words
pauvre: Having little income or wealth and little financial leeway in daily life.
fauché: Temporarily having almost no cash for purchases or payments.
sans-abri: Having no home and living on the street or in a shelter.
Definition in French
Qui se trouve sans ressources suffisantes pour subvenir à ses besoins.
Word origin
The adjective démuni is the past participle of démunir, formed with dé- and munir, which comes from Latin munire, meaning to equip or fortify.
Usage tips
- Démuni often describes material hardship in formal or institutional contexts, while pauvre is broader and more common for poverty.