needier; neediest
1
: being in want : poverty-stricken
needy families
… where needy children from the community could come to get free, nutritious meals.—
Liza N. Burby
Liza N. Burby2
: marked by want of affection, attention, or emotional support
emotionally needy
The girl was needy for her mother's affection.
neediness
noun
Examples of needy in a Sentence
As a child, she was extremely needy and had no self-confidence.
those generous souls who regularly give money and donate clothes to help the needy
Recent Examples on the Web
States and food pantries cannot cover food for needy elderly, children and the disabled without federal support.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 July 2025
Another calls for evaluating whether hospitals' use of the federal 340b program is following the intent of serving needy populations.
—Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 3 July 2025
Its sister foundation sponsors charitable programs like Thanksgiving turkey giveaways and school supply drives for needy children, records show.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 24 June 2025
Fifty percent of Catholics said devotion to the Virgin Mary was important and 47% said helping the poor and needy was essential to their religious identity, the survey found.
—Natalie Demaree, Miami Herald, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for needy
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 July 2025
Another calls for evaluating whether hospitals' use of the federal 340b program is following the intent of serving needy populations.
—Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 3 July 2025
Its sister foundation sponsors charitable programs like Thanksgiving turkey giveaways and school supply drives for needy children, records show.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 24 June 2025
Fifty percent of Catholics said devotion to the Virgin Mary was important and 47% said helping the poor and needy was essential to their religious identity, the survey found.
—Natalie Demaree, Miami Herald, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for needy
Cite this Entry
“Needy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/needy. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
needy
adjective
needier; neediest
1
: being in want : very poor
needy families
2
: marked by want of affection, attention, or emotional support
a tendency to be emotionally needy
neediness
noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share