poor and lowly; impoverished and humble
Describes a state of being both economically poor and socially low in status. Often used in literary or historical contexts.
Though he came from a poor and lowly background, he made a success of himself through hard work.
Friendships formed in humble circumstances are hard to forget.
貧賤 means poverty combined with low social status, the direct opposite of 富貴's wealth combined with high rank.
Standard kanji form; 賤 is a common-use character in this compound.
Variant with 賎, an extended shinjitai form of 賤; less common but recognized.
Compound of 貧 (poor) and 賤 (lowly, humble). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination directly conveys the dual sense of poverty and low social standing.