In classic British understatement, quite poor doesn't mean mediocre — it means absolutely terrible.
Much of that is currency effect, but if think if I wanted to fight every weeb at once I could defend the position "not only is Japan quite poor, but a lot of the things people admire about it are actually poverty indi…
For someone who constantly brags about his negotiation skills, he's quite poor at getting a good price on anything.
In classic British understatement, quite poor doesn't mean mediocre — it means absolutely terrible. This is meiosis at its most English: the politer the language, the worse the thing being described. Quite poor is the phrase a British person uses when they'd rather die than say something was genuinely awful. Context and tone do all the heavy lifting.
The referee's decisions were, to put it charitably, quite poor — the home team was robbed.
Quite poor means: In classic British understatement, quite poor doesn't mean mediocre - it means absolutely terrible. This is meiosis at its most English: the politer the language, the worse the thing being. It has drug-related associations; worth a calm conversation about which side of the topic your teen is on. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.
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A classic piece of British understatement where 'quite good' actually means something is fantastic, brilliant, or top-notch. In the UK, saying something is 'quite good' is essentially high praise delivered with maximum restraint. It's the verbal equivalent of a reserved nod of approval from someone who would never dream of gushing. Context is everything — tone and a slight eyebrow raise signal that you're not just being polite, you're genuinely impressed.
(informal, dated, British) Used to express disapproval or dissatisfaction.
(UK, meiotic) Excellent.
Of low quality.
Quite poor means: In classic British understatement, quite poor doesn't mean mediocre - it means absolutely terrible. This is meiosis at its most English: the politer the language, the worse the thing being. It has drug-related associations; worth a calm conversation about which side of the topic your teen is on. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
quite poor means: In classic British understatement, quite poor doesn't mean mediocre - it means absolutely terrible. This is meiosis at its most English: the politer the language, the worse the. Register: very informal, often derogatory or vulgar. Avoid in formal, business, academic, or polite writing. Even in casual speech the word can offend and is best left out of a learner's active vocabulary. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
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(UK, meiotic) Terrible.
“Much of that is currency effect, but if think if I wanted to fight every weeb at once I could defend the position "not only is Japan quite poor, but a lot of the things people admire about it are actually poverty indicators". Starting with the tiny apartments”
“For someone who constantly brags about his negotiation skills, he's quite poor at getting a good price on anything.”
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