need
Americannoun
-
a requirement, necessary duty, or obligation.
There is no need for you to go there.
-
a lack of something wanted or deemed necessary.
to fulfill the needs of the assignment.
-
urgent want, as of something requisite.
He has no need of your charity.
- Synonyms:
- requirement
-
necessity arising from the circumstances of a situation or case.
There is no need to worry.
-
a situation or time of difficulty; exigency.
to help a friend in need;
to be a friend in need.
- Synonyms:
- emergency
-
a condition marked by the lack of something requisite.
the need for leadership.
-
destitution; extreme poverty.
The family's need is acute.
- Antonyms:
- wealth
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
-
to be under an obligation (used as an auxiliary, typically in an interrogative or in a negative statement, and followed by infinitive, in certain cases without to; in the 3d person singular the form is need, notneeds ).
He need not go.
-
to be in need or want.
-
to be necessary.
There needs no apology.
idioms
verb
-
(tr) to be in want of
to need money
-
(tr) to require or be required of necessity (to be or do something); be obliged
to need to do more work
-
(takes an infinitive without to) used as an auxiliary in negative and interrogative sentences to express necessity or obligation, and does not add -s when used with he, she, it, and singular nouns
need he go?
-
archaic (intr) to be essential or necessary to
there needs no reason for this
noun
-
the fact or an instance of feeling the lack of something
he has need of a new coat
-
a requirement
the need for vengeance
-
necessity or obligation resulting from some situation
no need to be frightened
-
distress or extremity
a friend in need
-
extreme poverty or destitution; penury
Usage
What are other ways to say need? To need something is to have need of it. How does need compare to synonyms want, lack, and require? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Synonym Usage
Need, necessity imply a want, a lack, or a demand, which must be filled. Need, a word of Old English origin, has connotations that make it strong in emotional appeal: the need to be appreciated. Necessity, a word of Latin origin, is more formal and impersonal or objective; though much stronger than need in expressing urgency or imperative demand, it is less effective in appealing to the emotions: Water is a necessity for living things.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
needsimple
-
needssimple
-
have neededperfect
-
has neededperfect
-
am needingprogressive
-
are needingprogressive
-
is needingprogressive
-
have been needingperfect progressive
-
has been needingperfect progressive
Past
-
neededsimple
-
had neededperfect
-
was needingprogressive
-
were needingprogressive
-
had been needingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of need
First recorded before 900; Middle English noun nede, Old English nēd ( West Saxon nīed ), cognate with German Not, Old Norse nauth, Gothic nauths
Explanation
A need is something essential: people need food, water, and shelter. When you lack them, you're in need. Besides physical needs like sleep, people have lots of psychological needs: like for love and friendship. To pass an exam, you need to study. To lose weight, you need to exercise more and eat less. Drug addicts feel a physical need for their drug — so do smokers. Often, we feel we need things that we actually just want: like a new video game or car. When someone is trying hard to get something, they might say "I need it!"
Vocabulary lists containing need
"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 1
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Lyrics from "Umbrella" by Rihanna
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"Inventing to Solve a Problem"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Don’t miss: My adviser says I don’t need a withdrawal plan for my $2.3 million portfolio.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
When that trade wobbles, Chinese tech doesn’t need a direct financial link to catch the chill.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
“But that’s why we need to adopt them,” Delilah said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
How many midfielders do Rangers need after busy summer?
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
If there is no one for the Japanese soldiers to fight, there’s no need for more violence.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
I said something like: “Please don’t go home. Your child needs oxygen. She has pneumonia. We will figure out a way to pay for this, because we acknowledge what we do is expensive.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Moreover, when students leave public schools for private academies, the students left behind are disproportionately special needs students who cost more to educate.
From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026
In this climate, Prof Xu believes that China needs to build "trusted information infrastructure".
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
In situations like this, one needs to pay less attention to the speeches and short-term moves by both sides and look at the facts shaping the antagonists’ options.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
The patients were not only deprived of basic needs; they were also deprived of their identities.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Overruns would reduce the operating cash flow needed to fund the AI build-out, making it more likely the companies would have to issue additional debt or sell stock to cover shortfalls.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Sure, the movements were thoughtful and precise, with the ballet barre providing postural support when needed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
It said a pilot scheme in Dwyfor, Gwynedd, looking at how to tackle problems with second homes, would inform this review to help assess what action is needed.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
He also announced his intention to allow Ukraine to produce anti-aircraft Patriot missiles, which are badly needed to face down Russian attacks.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
And it was just the one Clare needed to talk to.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
If you don’t anticipate needing the money for several years, consider a diversified bond fund, a balanced stock-and-bond fund or even investing a portion of it in the stock market.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
Elsewhere the lawsuit describes Winter as a "vulnerable" individual whose reliance on ChatGPT led to him losing his home and career, and left him needing "years of intensive physical and psychological recovery".
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
The WBG said the five-year CPF "marks a new phase in a 45-year partnership," as China moves from needing financing to primarily requiring technical assistance and knowledge sharing.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
There are worse things than needing to escape a world trying to crush you.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
Yet she was here now, needing to save herself.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
