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needy

[ nee-dee ]
/ ˈni di /

adjective, need·i·er, need·i·est.

in a condition of need or want; poverty-stricken; impoverished; extremely poor; destitute.

noun

(used with a plural verb) needy persons collectively (usually preceded by the): Help the needy.

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Origin of needy

1125–75; Middle English nedi; see need, -y1

OTHER WORDS FROM needy

need·i·ly, adverbun·need·y, adjective

Words nearby needy

needlework, needling, needn't, needs, needs test, needy, neem, neenah, neencephalon, neep, neet
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for needies

needy
/ (ˈniːdɪ) /

adjective needier or neediest

  1. in need of practical or emotional support; distressed
  2. (as collective noun; preceded by the)the needy
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012