Synonyms for bankrupt
- adjective
- verb
- noun
Most common
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Insolvent — in a condition of bankruptcy; unable to pay outstanding debts or meet financial obligations; specifically…
insolvent, impoverished, penniless, destitute, poor, broke informal, broken, indigent, stony, moneyless, penurious, poverty-stricken, impecunious, needy, strapped, pinched, beggarly, beggared, necessitous
Other
Verb
Other
impoverish, beggar, pauperize, pauperise UK
Noun
Definitions
- adj. 1
In a condition of bankruptcy; unable to pay outstanding debts or meet financial obligations; specifically, having been legally declared insolvent.
- v. 1
To force into bankruptcy.
- n. 1
One who becomes unable to pay his or her debts; an insolvent person; a bankruptee.
Related words
- Word family
- bankruptcy
- Phrases
- go bankrupt
Forms
- Plural
- bankrupts → paupers, defaulters…
- Past participle
- bankrupted
e.g. bankrupted → ruined, smashed, breaked, impoverished…
Example sentences
- impoverished The war lasting for years impoverished the country.
- destitute It was there that this destitute child was born.
- insolvent When it comes to the crunch, our company will become insolvent.
- penniless When his business failed, he was left penniless.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| bankrupt | falling | |
| impoverished | rising | |
| destitute | steady | |
| insolvent | steady | |
| penniless | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- poor1, ruin2
- 5 letters
- break1, broke1, smash1, needy2, stony2
- 6 letters
- broken2, beggar2, pauper2
- 7 letters
- pinched1
- 8 letters
- strapped1, indigent3, beggarly, beggared
- 9 letters
- destitute3, insolvent3, penniless3, defaulter3, moneyless3, penurious4, pauperize, pauperise
- 10 letters
- impoverish3
- 11 letters
- impecunious, necessitous
- 12 letters
- impoverished3
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (ruin2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- failli