destitute

Compared meaning: having little or no money (adjective).

比较义项：贫穷、没钱（形容词）。

• poor

  The most general, neutral word for having little money; used in everyday and formal writing to describe people, families, or countries.

  表示没钱这一状态最普通、最中性的词，可以用来形容人、家庭或国家，日常和正式场合都可以使用。

  The family was too poor to buy new shoes.

  这家人太穷了，买不起新鞋。

• needy

  Emphasizes lacking basic necessities such as food, clothing, or shelter severely enough to need help; common in formal or charity contexts, often placed before a noun like needy children.

  强调严重缺乏食物、衣物、住所等基本生活必需品，程度到了需要外界帮助的地步；常用于正式或慈善语境，常放在名词前面，如needy children（贫困儿童）。

  The charity collects toys every year for needy children.

  这家慈善机构每年都为贫困儿童收集玩具。

• broke

  An informal, spoken word for having no money at a particular moment, often temporary; used only after a verb like be or go, never directly before a noun.

  口语化、非正式的说法，表示某一时刻没有钱，往往是暂时的；只能放在系动词后面，如be broke或go broke，不能直接放在名词前面。

  I was completely broke after paying for the plane ticket.

  付完机票钱后，我彻底没钱了。

• destitute 本词

  A formal, strong word for extreme poverty, often lacking even basic survival needs like shelter or food; used in serious contexts, sometimes as a noun in the destitute.

  正式且语气强烈的词，表示极度贫穷，往往连住处、食物等基本生存条件都没有；用于严肃、正式的语境，有时可用the destitute指代这类人群。

  After losing his job, he became destitute and needed help from friends.

  失业后，他变得穷困潦倒，需要朋友们的帮助。

Poor, needy, broke, and destitute mean having little money, in increasing strength. Poor is the neutral word; needy stresses lacking necessities, often for charity; broke is informal, meaning no money now; destitute is strongest, for extreme poverty. Poor's 'pitiable' sense is not compared.

这几个词都表示“没钱、贫穷”，但程度和语域不同：poor最普通中性，needy强调缺乏基本生活必需品、常用于慈善语境，broke是口语说法、多指暂时没钱，destitute语气最强、指连基本生存条件都没有的极度贫穷。这里不比较poor表示“可怜的”或“（质量）差的”的用法，也不比较broke作为动词break的过去式。

Compared meaning: completely lacking something (adjective).

比较义项：缺乏、没有（形容词）。

• absent

  Usually describes someone or something missing from a place or occasion ('absent from class'); can also mean a quality is simply not present; neutral, everyday word, no sense of severity.

  通常指人或事物不在某个地点或场合（如“absent from class”缺课）；也可指某种特质单纯不存在；语气中性，日常用词，不含程度严重的意味。

  Two key witnesses were absent from the trial this morning.

  今天上午，两名关键证人缺席了庭审。

• devoid

  Means completely lacking a quality or characteristic; always followed by 'of'; formal or literary register; often used for something notably empty of a positive trait like warmth or humor.

  表示完全缺乏某种特质或特征；后面总是接“of”；语域正式、书面化；常用于形容明显缺少某种积极品质（如温暖、生气、幽默感）。

  The apartment was completely devoid of personality, just bare white walls.

  这间公寓完全没有个性，只有光秃秃的白墙。

• destitute 本词

  Describes a person lacking basic necessities like money, food, or shelter; implies extreme poverty; used alone rather than with 'of' in modern English, with a strong negative connotation.

  指人缺乏基本生活必需品，如金钱、食物或住所；含极度贫困之意；现代英语中通常单独使用（不接“of”），带有强烈的负面色彩。

  After the flood, many families were left destitute and homeless.

  洪水过后，许多家庭一贫如洗、无家可归。

Absent, devoid, and destitute all mean lacking something. Absent describes someone or something missing from a place, a neutral, everyday word. Devoid means completely lacking a quality, always followed by 'of'. Destitute describes a person lacking basic necessities like money or shelter, meaning extreme poverty.

这三个词都表示“缺乏某物”，但缺乏的对象和使用场合不同：absent 强调人或事物不在场，devoid 强调完全没有某种特质，destitute 强调缺少基本生活必需品、陷入贫困。三者的语域和搭配也不同，不能随意互换。