need
Americannoun
-
needs
plural
-
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)
-
needs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
needed,
past participle, past
-
needing
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
needs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
needed,
past participle, past
-
needing
present participle
-
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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Unit 4
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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:
“We need to take a big step back and reassess how we’re looking at our social scene here on campus,” said Chaudhuri, the student assembly president.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
"We need to get them producing, we need to have a real wage paid to Cuban workers and create a multiplier economic effect across the island."
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
At the same time, he knows the Chargers can’t just preach it — they need to prove it on the field.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Hill also cited the need for improvement in sportswear and the Jordan brand.
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
She thinks my nickname is silly, and that since my parents named me Laveau, that is the name I need to be addressed by.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
Still, Dallas president Lorie Logan warned: "I currently estimate the target range needs to rise an additional 50 basis points or more to appropriately balance the outlook and risks for our dual mandate goals."
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
But the balance of power remains skewed in favour of London, Wearing added, pointing out that as a "relatively small country in a very volatile region", the UAE needs good relations with the UK.
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
If a person needs expertise outside the network, however, the cost can be huge.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
And so EU member states are selecting strategic partners that they believe suit their national needs, even if that alienates or irritates fellow member states.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
He ignores the men, searching for his needs.
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Britain is in talks with EU partners to release additional strategic fuel reserves, including diesel, if needed, the BBC understands.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
Hill told analysts the company has made progress since his return, but that deeper changes were needed following a comprehensive review.
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
Despite the quarterback’s struggles — and coach Jim Harbaugh criticizing Herbert’s decision-making — McDaniel says he feels he has a better grasp on what is needed to help Herbert thrive.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Such missiles are particularly costly to produce because of their sophisticated guidance systems and the construction materials needed to withstand extreme temperatures as they speed to earth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
She had no idea which fungi needed more shade and less water, no clue how to read a book or brew a cup of tree sap tea.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
Each chef seemed to have a recognizable point of view — something you could understand from the plate itself, without needing the chef to stand beside the table explaining it.
From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2026
Sunday sees 12 singles games take place, with each side needing 15.5 points to seal victory.
From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026
Two things can be true at once: Your mother can be anxious about needing more care, and have spent $100,000 of her savings on her son’s down payment.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026
These days just two co-founders can build prototypes, get their products into the hands of customers and kick the tires of what they’re building before needing to hire, says Aileen Lee, founder of Cowboy Ventures.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
Except that she’s trying to send a message about needing space from him, and he isn’t hearing it, and now it’s bugging her.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
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.
