See also: dirt poor

English

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Etymology

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Inversion of earlier poor as dirt (compare whip-smart / smart as a whip).

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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dirt-poor (not comparable)

  1. (idiomatic) In a condition of extreme poverty.
    Antonym: filthy rich
    • 1975 August 18, “Religion: Blood and Land”, in Time:
      In recent months, the dirt-poor peasants of Honduras have invaded farms and blockaded bridges to force the government to fulfill its promises.
    • 2007 August 4, “A critical election for ‘the best dressed man in Turkey’”, in The Week, 625, 16:
      A few years ago it was a dirt-poor outpost populated by rural migrants.

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