steady, impoverished, broke, affluent, stingy: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from Advanced set 50. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. steady · adjective/ˈstɛdi/

   constantly developing, unlikely to change

   For the past 5 years, the new company of sustainable shoewear has been making steady progress in expanding its markets.

   Synonyms: constant, ceaseless, regular

   Origin: Middle English (in the sense ‘unwavering, without deviation’): from stead+ -y. The verb dates from the mid 16th century

2. impoverished · adjective/ɪmˈpɑv(ə)rɪʃt/

   having been made poor, of an area or a person

   Due to a history of relentless exploitation, many countries across Africa have become war-torn and impoverished.

   Synonyms: needy, poverty-stricken, penniless

3. broke · adjective/breɪk/

   without money or savings

   He asked his friend for some money to take a taxi home as he was completely broke.

   Synonyms: penniless, bankrupt, destitute

   Origin: Old English brecan (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch breken and German brechen, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin frangere ‘to break’

4. affluent · adjective/ˈæˌfluənt/

   having a lot of money

   Studies indicate that the affluent do not, in fact, donate more to charities than the less prosperous.

   Synonyms: wealthy, prosperous, upscale

   Origin: late Middle English (in affluent (sense 2 of the adjective)): via Old French from Latin affluent- ‘flowing towards, flowing freely’, from the verb affluere, from ad- ‘to’ + fluere ‘to flow’

5. stingy · adjective/ˈstɪndʒi/

   unwilling to spend or give money

   Hank was known to be a rather stingy old man and never left as much as a tip at a restaurant.

   Synonyms: selfish, ungenerous

   Origin: mid 17th century: perhaps a dialect variant of the noun sting+ -y