destitute

UK: /ˈdɛstɪtjuːt/

US: /ˈdɛstɪˌtut, -ˌtjut/

US: (des′ti to̅o̅t′, -tyo̅o̅t′)

Inflections of 'destitute' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

destitutes

v 3rd person singular

destituting

v pres p

destituted

v past

destituted

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

des•ti•tute /ˈdɛstɪˌtut, -ˌtyut/  adj. 

1. without means to live:
   money for destitute families.
2. [ be + ~ + of] deprived of or lacking:
   At that point I was destitute of feeling.

des•ti•tu•tion /ˌdɛstɪˈtuʃən, -ˈtyu-/  n. [uncountable] See -stit-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

des•ti•tute  (des′ti to̅o̅t′, -tyo̅o̅t′), adj., v., -tut•ed, -tut•ing. 
adj. 

1. without means of subsistence;
   lacking food, clothing, and shelter.
2. deprived of, devoid of, or lacking (often fol. by of ):
   destitute of children.

v.t. 

3. to leave destitute.

• Latin dēstitūtus (past participle of dēstituere to abandon, deprive of support), equivalent. to dē- de- + stit- place, put (combining form of statuere; see statute) + -ū- thematic vowel + -tus past participle suffix
• Middle English 1350–1400

des′ti•tute′ly, adv. 
des′ti•tute′ness, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. needy, poor, indigent, necessitous, penniless, impoverished.
• 2. deficient.

Antonyms

• 1. affluent.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

destitute / ˈdɛstɪˌtjuːt/ adjective

1. lacking the means of subsistence; totally impoverished
2. (postpositive) followed by of: completely lacking; deprived or bereft (of): destitute of words
3. abandoned or deserted

Etymology: 14th Century: from Latin dēstitūtus forsaken, from dēstituere to leave alone, from statuere to place

ˈdestiˌtuteness noun