Idioms are special phrases where the words together have a different meaning than what they say one by one. People use them to make their speaking and writing more colorful, interesting, and easy to understand. In this lesson, you will learn fifty helpful idioms related to poverty and having very little money.
In this lesson, we’ll look at idioms that mean having financial struggles. Let’s get started and explore some of these helpful expressions.
Idioms for Poverty
1. Hard up
Definition: Having very little money to buy the things you need.
Used in a Sentence: We are a bit hard up this month because of extra bills. / He felt too hard up to buy new shoes for school.
Similar Expressions: Broke / Short of cash
2. Living hand to mouth
Definition: Spending all the money you earn right away just to pay for basic food and housing.
Used in a Sentence: Growing up, her family was always living hand to mouth. / They find it hard to save any money when they are living hand to mouth.
Similar Expressions: Scraping by / Living on the edge
3. Down on your luck
Definition: Going through a difficult time with money and bad fortune.
Used in a Sentence: After losing his job, he was really down on his luck. / The community center helps people who are down on their luck.
Similar Expressions: Facing hard times / Having a rough patch
4. On the breadline
Definition: Having the absolute lowest level of income needed to survive.
Used in a Sentence: Many families in the old town lived on the breadline. / The charity provides food for people who are on the breadline.
Similar Expressions: Extremely poor / Destitute
5. Penniless and pocketless
Definition: Having zero money left in your possession.
Used in a Sentence: He left his hometown penniless and pocketless to seek a new start. / She felt hopeless after losing her wallet and becoming penniless and pocketless.
Similar Expressions: Flat broke / Penniless
6. Not have two pennies to rub together
Definition: Being completely without money.
Used in a Sentence: When they first got married, they did not have two pennies to rub together. / He could not join the club trip because he did not have two pennies to rub together.
Similar Expressions: Penniless / Broke
7. On hard times
Definition: Experiencing a period of severe money problems.
Used in a Sentence: The local business fell on hard times during the winter. / They fell on hard times after the storm damaged their home.
Similar Expressions: Struggling financially / Facing poverty
8. Stone broke
Definition: Having absolutely no money at all.
Used in a Sentence: I cannot go to the movies tonight because I am stone broke. / He spent all his allowance and was stone broke by Tuesday.
Similar Expressions: Completely broke / Out of funds
9. Stripped to the bone
Definition: Having all extra money and resources completely used up.
Used in a Sentence: Their family budget was stripped to the bone after medical bills. / With the price increases, our savings were stripped to the bone.
Similar Expressions: Drained dry / Depleted
10. In the red
Definition: Owing more money than you actually have.
Used in a Sentence: The small shop was in the red for six months. / He tried hard to get his bank account out of the red.
Similar Expressions: In debt / Deficit spending
11. Behind the eight ball
Definition: Being in a tough spot because of a lack of money or resources.
Used in a Sentence: Without a scholarship, he started college behind the eight ball. / Paying for car repairs put us way behind the eight ball.
Similar Expressions: At a disadvantage / Struggling
12. Scratching a living
Definition: Managing to earn just enough money to survive through hard work.
Used in a Sentence: The fishermen were just scratching a living off the rough coast. / She spent years scratching a living from small art jobs.
Similar Expressions: Making ends meet / Scraping by
13. Barely keeping body and soul together
Definition: Having just enough food and shelter to stay alive, with nothing extra.
Used in a Sentence: In the harsh winter, the travelers were barely keeping body and soul together. / His small wages were barely keeping body and soul together.
Similar Expressions: Surviving / Subsisting
14. Down to your last dime
Definition: Having only the very last bit of money left.
Used in a Sentence: She was down to her last dime before finding her lost purse. / Do not spend your grocery money when you are down to your last dime.
Similar Expressions: Out of cash / Nearly broke
15. In low water
Definition: Facing a shortage of money and resources.
Used in a Sentence: The farm was in low water after the crops failed. / He felt stressed because his savings were in low water.
Similar Expressions: Facing shortages / Financial trouble
16. Out at the elbows
Definition: Wearing ragged, torn clothes because you are poor.
Used in a Sentence: The old teacher looked out at the elbows in his patched jacket. / People knew the family was poor when their winter coats were out at the elbows.
Similar Expressions: Shabby / Ragged
17. Without a pot to piss in
Definition: Being completely destitute and owning nothing of value.
Used in a Sentence: He boasted about his grand plans, but he was without a pot to piss in. / They started their business venture without a pot to piss in.
Similar Expressions: Utterly broke / Penniless
18. On slim rations
Definition: Having very little food or money to live on.
Used in a Sentence: During the dry season, the village lived on slim rations. / Our club budget is on slim rations this term.
Similar Expressions: On short commons / Restricted budget
19. In straitened circumstances
Definition: Living in a situation with very strict financial limits.
Used in a Sentence: The noble family lived in straitened circumstances after losing their land. / She grew up in straitened circumstances but still studied hard.
Similar Expressions: Financially constrained / Living poorly
20. Feeling the pinch
Definition: Experiencing financial pressure due to a lack of money.
Used in a Sentence: Many households are feeling the pinch from rising food prices. / Our school club is feeling the pinch this semester.
Similar Expressions: Feeling the squeeze / Struggling financially
21. Riding on a shoestring
Definition: Operating or living with an extremely small amount of money.
Used in a Sentence: They ran their new bookstore on a shoestring budget. / Traveling on a shoestring means staying in cheap hostels.
Similar Expressions: On a tight budget / Minimal funds
22. Without a roof over your head
Definition: Being so poor that you do not even have a place to live.
Used in a Sentence: The charity works hard to help people without a roof over their head. / He feared ending up without a roof over his head after losing his home.
Similar Expressions: Homeless / Unhoused
23. Empty-handed
Definition: Leaving a place with no money, goods, or gains.
Used in a Sentence: He searched for extra work all day but returned home empty-handed. / She checked her pockets and found herself empty-handed.
Similar Expressions: With nothing / Destitute
24. Living on a crust of bread
Definition: Eating only the cheapest and most basic food due to extreme poverty.
Used in a Sentence: The fairy tale character was so poor he was living on a crust of bread. / They saved every coin while living on a crust of bread.
Similar Expressions: Eating poorly / Eating sparingly
25. Bouncing checks
Definition: Writing checks when there is no money in the bank to cover them.
Used in a Sentence: He got into trouble with the store for bouncing checks. / Bouncing checks is a sign of severe money mismanagement.
Similar Expressions: Overdrawing accounts / Financial failure
26. In the poorhouse
Definition: Reaching a state of complete financial ruin.
Used in a Sentence: If we spend too much, we will end up in the poorhouse. / He feared his bad investments would put him in the poorhouse.
Similar Expressions: Bankrupt / Ruined
27. Living in penury
Definition: Existing in a state of extreme poverty and want.
Used in a Sentence: The artist spent his final years living in penury. / Growing up in penury taught her to appreciate every meal.
Similar Expressions: Extreme poverty / Destitution
28. Down at the heel
Definition: Looking worn out, shabby, and poor.
Used in a Sentence: The old theater looked a bit down at the heel. / He wore down at the heel boots to work every day.
Similar Expressions: Run-down / Shabby
29. Tightening your belt
Definition: Spending less money because you have less of it.
Used in a Sentence: We are tightening our belt this month to pay for repairs. / The family started tightening their belt after the pay cut.
Similar Expressions: Cutting back / Saving money
30. Flat broke
Definition: Having no money left whatsoever.
Used in a Sentence: I am flat broke until I get paid on Friday. / He checked his wallet and realized he was flat broke.
Similar Expressions: Penniless / Broke
31. Out of pocket
Definition: Having lost money or having spent your own money for an expense.
Used in a Sentence: I am out of pocket for the supplies I bought for the class. / She was out of pocket after paying the entry fee.
Similar Expressions: Out of funds / Losing money
32. Beggars can’t be choosers
Definition: People with very little money or options must accept whatever they are given.
Used in a Sentence: He did not like the old coat, but beggars can’t be choosers. / When you have no budget, beggars can’t be choosers regarding food.
Similar Expressions: Take what you get / Accept help
33. On the rocks
Definition: Facing total ruin or severe financial trouble.
Used in a Sentence: Their family restaurant was on the rocks after the slow season. / His personal finances were on the rocks.
Similar Expressions: Failing / Ruined
34. Stripped of everything
Definition: Having all personal property and money taken away.
Used in a Sentence: The fire left the family stripped of everything they owned. / He felt lost after being stripped of everything in the scam.
Similar Expressions: Left with nothing / Ruined
35. Living from pillar to post
Definition: Moving constantly from one troubled, poor place to another.
Used in a Sentence: They spent years living from pillar to post looking for stable work. / Being forced to move made them feel like they were living from pillar to post.
Similar Expressions: Wandering / Unstable living
36. Without a coin to your name
Definition: Possessing zero money or wealth.
Used in a Sentence: He arrived in the big city without a coin to your name. / She refused to let herself be left without a coin to your name.
Similar Expressions: Penniless / Destitute
37. On thin ice financially
Definition: In a risky money situation where failure means poverty.
Used in a Sentence: Spending all your savings puts you on thin ice financially. / The business was on thin ice financially all year.
Similar Expressions: Risky position / Unstable money
38. Eating humble pie
Definition: Accepting a lower status or poverty after a loss of wealth.
Used in a Sentence: After losing his fortune, he had to start eating humble pie. / He spent years eating humble pie and working low-wage jobs.
Similar Expressions: Humbled / Accepting loss
39. In debt up to your ears
Definition: Owing a massive amount of money that you cannot pay back easily.
Used in a Sentence: He bought too many cars and was in debt up to your ears. / Being in debt up to your ears causes a lot of stress.
Similar Expressions: Deeply in debt / Overindebted
40. Walking on bare boards
Definition: Living in a very bare, poor home with no carpets or nice furniture.
Used in a Sentence: Their first apartment had no rugs, just walking on bare boards. / They lived simply, walking on bare boards for years.
Similar Expressions: Spartan living / Living plainly
41. Born with a wooden spoon in your mouth
Definition: Born into a poor family instead of a rich one.
Used in a Sentence: He joked that he was born with a wooden spoon in his mouth. / Coming from a family born with a wooden spoon in your mouth made him work hard.
Similar Expressions: Born poor / Humble origins
42. Playing for beans
Definition: Working or playing for very little money or reward.
Used in a Sentence: The local band was playing for beans at the tiny cafe. / He felt like he was working all day for beans.
Similar Expressions: Working for peanuts / Low pay
43. Singing the blues
Definition: Complaining about being poor, sad, or down on your luck.
Used in a Sentence: He spent all evening singing the blues about his lost wallet. / Stop singing the blues and let us find a way to fix this.
Similar Expressions: Complaining / Lamenting
44. Running on empty
Definition: Having no energy, money, or resources left to keep going.
Used in a Sentence: The project was running on empty by the end of the month. / She felt like she was running on empty trying to pay bills.
Similar Expressions: Exhausted resources / Depleted
45. In low clover
Definition: Living in poor or modest conditions after being used to better things.
Used in a Sentence: After the crash, they found themselves in low clover. / He adjusted to living in low clover without complaining.
Similar Expressions: Modest living / Poor conditions
46. Facing the wolf at the door
Definition: Dealing with the immediate threat of starvation or extreme poverty.
Used in a Sentence: With winter coming, the family feared the wolf at the door. / Working two jobs kept the wolf at the door.
Similar Expressions: Fighting hunger / Surviving poverty
47. Living on a shoestring budget
Definition: Trying to pay for everything with very minimal money.
Used in a Sentence: College students often live on a shoestring budget. / She managed her household on a shoestring budget successfully.
Similar Expressions: Strict budgeting / Frugal living
48. Down to the bone
Definition: Having finances reduced to the absolute minimum.
Used in a Sentence: Their resources were cut down to the bone this year. / We trimmed our spending down to the bone.
Similar Expressions: Minimized / Stripped down
49. Without a feather to fly with
Definition: Being completely without money or possessions.
Used in a Sentence: The young man left home without a feather to fly with. / She felt naked and without a feather to fly with after the theft.
Similar Expressions: Destitute / Penniless
50. Out of funds
Definition: Having no money left in an account or pocket.
Used in a Sentence: The school club was out of funds for the party. / I am out of funds until next week.
Similar Expressions: Broke / Penniless
Exercise to Practice
- When Sam had no money left for lunch, he said he was flat broke.
- If you have plenty of cash and gold, you are living hand to mouth.
- Maria was so poor that she did not have two pennies to rub together.
- John bought a brand new sports car while he was stone broke.
- After losing his job and savings, Mr. Davis was down on his luck.
- A family living on the breadline has more money than they can spend.
- Lucy had to start tightening her belt when her allowance was reduced.
- If your bank account is in the red, it means you have lots of extra savings.
- Working two jobs helped the family keep the wolf at the door.
- People who are living in penury have luxurious mansions and expensive cars.
- When Tom spent his last dollar, he was down to his last dime.
- A student who buys everything they want is living on a shoestring budget.
- If you are behind the eight ball, you are in a very good and easy position.
- The old man looked out at the elbows in his torn and patched coat.
- Beggars can’t be choosers means poor people can pick whatever they like best.
Answer Key
- True
- False
- True
- False
- True
- False
- True
- False
- True
- False
- True
- False
- False
- True
- False
Conclusion
Learning these idioms helps you understand stories, conversations, and books much better when characters face money troubles. It also gives you interesting words to describe real-life situations with your friends and family.
Try using one or two of these expressions the next time you talk about money or budgeting with someone. Practice makes it fun and easy to add new phrases to your daily vocabulary.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some common idioms for poverty?
Common idioms for poverty include living hand to mouth, stone broke, and down on your luck. These phrases help describe situations where people have very little money.
Why do we use idioms in English?
We use idioms to make our language more colorful, expressive, and fun. They help us share big ideas or feelings in just a few short words.
How can I remember these idioms easily?
You can remember them best by making up fun sentences or drawing pictures for each phrase. Using them in your daily writing also helps them stick in your mind.
Are these idioms used in everyday conversation?
Yes, many of these expressions are very common in everyday English speaking and writing. Native speakers use them naturally when talking about finances and budgets.
Can I use these idioms in formal writing?
Most idioms are casual and best used in speaking, stories, or informal writing. For formal school essays, it is usually better to use plain and direct words.
