needy
Americanadjective
-
needier,
comparative
-
neediest
superlative
-
in a condition of need or want; extremely poor and not having the basic necessities.
If your car is serviceable, it will be repaired and donated to a needy family.
-
having or exhibiting an excessive emotional need, as for attention, intimacy, or reassurance.
As he became more competent and less needy, his interpersonal relationships improved.
-
having many needs to be met.
Cats aren’t as needy as dogs.
noun
adjective
Usage
What does needy mean? Needy is an adjective meaning poor. It can also be used as a noun referring collectively to people who are poor or otherwise in need, as in Your donation will help the needy. Another, more informal use of needy is as a negative adjective meaning demanding or having a lot needs to be met. It’s especially used to describe someone who requires a lot of attention in a relationship. A similar term is high-maintenance. Example: The food bank is intended for needy people who have no other way to get food.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of needy
First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English nedi; see origin at need, -y 1
Explanation
People who are needy don't have enough of life's necessities, like money, food, water, education, or shelter. Many charities collect money that helps needy people. Truly needy people go without food or warmth, for example, and often need help from others. As a group, these people are sometimes referred to as "the needy." A more lighthearted way to use the adjective is to mean "demanding or difficult." This type of needy person requires frequent reassurance or emotional support: "She's a good friend, but she can be so needy sometimes."
Vocabulary lists containing needy
Broke-abulary: Synonyms for "Poor"
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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:
Locke said many Texans have drawn on their faith “to attack inequalities, provide for the needy and, yes, advocate for environmental protections.”
From Salon ● Aug. 3, 2026
Sadly, Julia’s needy, embittered—and estranged—mother, has proved herself to be as much of a horror show as Julia’s father.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Tossing her blond locks like a hair-metal vixen, she’s a needy, greedy, selfie-taking try-hard who — horrors — frets over her own mass appeal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
Varley said the child was "refusing" to go to sleep, is "very needy" and texted another friend: "He's just annoying. Lol."
From BBC ● Apr. 28, 2026
Every time Ba told the story, she couldn’t help thinking how wonderful it would be to have the mountain blooming with fruit and flowers, bringing richness to their needy village.
From "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon" by Grace Lin
Then again, almost all of these people — the main characters and minor — are needier than they’d like to let on.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 14, 2025
“People want to help others who are needier than them, even those who don’t have much to give.”
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 10, 2024
If Ebb, with his brasher, needier personality, would have eaten up the honor, Kander seems at best to withstand it, embarrassed by too much attention or praise.
From New York Times ● Apr. 4, 2023
But actually Nate is a lot needier sadly than that and is a troubled soul.
From Salon ● Mar. 29, 2023
It meant providing medicine in the places that needed it the most, and no place was needier than Haiti.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
Yet Mr. Kelly is willing to deprive the neediest children of access to the greatest blessing America could offer: a high-quality education.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 2026
“Who will teach the children in the neediest schools? The communities will suffer. It’s cyclical, and it’s scary.”
From Salon ● Mar. 17, 2026
Here’s the dilemma: Fruits and vegetables are among the neediest of flora because they require lots of nutrients and water to produce the delicious, healthful foods we love to eat.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 8, 2025
However, its job market has long been unstable and the city is ranked among the neediest in the US.
From BBC ● Apr. 8, 2025
Fidelito was the neediest kid in the room, and so of course everyone pushed him around.
From "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer
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.
