What is a synonym for "not having money"?

A synonym for not having money can be expressed in many ways depending on how formal or informal you want to be. The most common everyday word is broke, which means having no money left, as in I am broke until payday. More formal synonyms include impoverished, which means extremely poor, destitute, which means lacking the basic necessities of life, indigent, which is a legal and formal term for poor and in need of help, insolvent, which specifically means unable to pay debts in a business context, and penniless, which means having literally no money at all. Other useful synonyms include impecunious, which is a fancy, somewhat literary word for having little money, penurious, strapped for cash, short on funds, low on funds, tight on money, and financially constrained. British slang uses skint to mean broke. American slang includes busted, hard up, down and out, flat broke, and stone broke. In business you might say experiencing cash flow problems, illiquid, or in the red. For euphemisms to be polite, you can say of modest means, financially challenged, economically disadvantaged, or on a tight budget. For severe situations, poverty-stricken, needy, and deprived are appropriate. The best choice depends on context, but broke is the most universally understood informal synonym.

A synonym for not having money depends on formality, but there are many options ranging from polite to slang. The most common formal synonyms include broke, which is informal but widely used, impoverished, which means extremely poor, destitute, which means lacking basic necessities, indigent, which is a formal term for poor and needy, insolvent, which means unable to pay debts, and penniless, which means having no money at all. Other formal synonyms include impecunious, which is a fancy word for having little money, penurious, and financially strapped or financially constrained. Common everyday phrases include broke, flat broke, short on cash, strapped for cash, low on funds, tight on money, and living paycheck to paycheck. Slang synonyms include busted, skint which is British slang for broke, hard up, down and out, and stone broke. For business contexts, you could say experiencing cash flow issues, illiquid, or in the red. For more severe poverty, synonyms include destitute, poverty-stricken, needy, and deprived. If you want a polite euphemism, you could say of modest means, financially challenged, economically disadvantaged, or on a tight budget. The best synonym depends on context. For casual conversation, broke is most common. For formal writing, impoverished or financially constrained is better.