Save Gender Masculine Usage Arabic, Urdu, Pashto Scripts فقير(Arabic, Pashto) فقیر(Urdu) Pronounced Pron. fa-KEER(Arabic) fə-KEER(Urdu) [key·IPA] Meaning & History Means "ascetic, impoverished, needy" in Arabic, derived from the word فَقَرَ (faqara) meaning "to be poor".