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
Resurrection, a United Methodist Church, packs and distributes 1,800 bags of weekend take-home food items for needy students in eleven schools in Kansas City, Olathe, Shawnee, and Kansas City, Kansas.
—Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 13 Nov. 2025
But Alvarez seemed to fall back into what became a pattern, growing needy and fixated on the ways he felt excluded by Koenig and Ebeling’s relationship.
—E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2025
Perhaps there is a quarterback-needy team out there willing to part with a Day 2 pick for the University of Florida product, who certainly has talent as a dual threat signal-caller.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
Uncle Bud’s, a bagel’s throw away, is feeding kids 12 and under in needy families free of charge, Wednesday through Sunday, until the end of the government shutdown.
—Evan Mealins, Nashville Tennessean, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for needy
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Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 13 Nov. 2025
But Alvarez seemed to fall back into what became a pattern, growing needy and fixated on the ways he felt excluded by Koenig and Ebeling’s relationship.
—E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2025
Perhaps there is a quarterback-needy team out there willing to part with a Day 2 pick for the University of Florida product, who certainly has talent as a dual threat signal-caller.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
Uncle Bud’s, a bagel’s throw away, is feeding kids 12 and under in needy families free of charge, Wednesday through Sunday, until the end of the government shutdown.
—Evan Mealins, Nashville Tennessean, 3 Nov. 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 18 Nov. 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
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