need

need

noun

Definition of NEED

1

a state of being without something necessary, desirable, or useful <when it came time to wrap the presents, he found he was in need of adhesive tape>

Synonyms absence, lack, needfulness, want

Related Words deficiency, deficit, inadequacy, insufficiency; dearth, meagerness, paucity, poverty, scantiness, scarceness, scarcity, shortage, skimpiness; defect, minus; deprivation, famishment, privation; demand, essential, necessity, requirement, requisite

Near Antonyms adequacy, enough, sufficiency; fund, pool, stock, supply; excess, fill, overabundance, oversupply, plenty, surfeit, surplus; hoard, stockpile

2

something necessary, indispensable, or unavoidable <got a job that barely provided for his basic needs>

Synonyms condition, demand, must, must-have, necessary, necessity, need, needful, requirement, requisite, sine qua non

Related Words precondition, prerequisite; advantage, edge, plus; desideration, desideratum, wish

Near Antonyms amenity, comfort, extra, extravagance, frill, indulgence, luxury, superfluity, surplus, surplusage

Antonyms nonessential, nonnecessity

3

something one must do because of prior agreement <no need to apologize>

Synonyms burden, charge, commitment, devoir, do [archaic], duty, imperative, incumbency, need, office, responsibility

Related Words oath, pledge, promise, troth, vow, word; arrangement, prearrangement, setup; compact, contract, covenant, pact, trust; debt, payment, tribute; compulsion, constraint, restraint; must, requirement; coercion, duress, force; appointment, engagement, reservation; burden, onus

Near Antonyms grace, postponement, stay; discharge, ease, exemption, release, relief, waiver; loophole; alternative, choice, option, pick, preference, selection

4

the state of lacking sufficient money or material possessions <donating money to help those in need>

Synonyms beggary, destituteness, destitution, impecuniosity, impecuniousness, impoverishment, indigence, necessity, need, neediness, pauperism, penuriousness, penury, poorness, want

Related Words gutter, misery, woe, wretchedness; exigency; emergency, rainy day; austerity, deprivation, privation; bankruptcy, insolvency; belt-tightening, pinching, straitening

Near Antonyms luxury, prosperity

Antonyms affluence, opulence, richness, wealth, wealthiness