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
However, the outfield-needy Philadelphia Phillies had other ideas.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025
The preschoolers have been doing extra chores at home to earn money to help buy food for needy families.
—Robbie Owens, CBS News, 20 Nov. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for needy
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Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025
The preschoolers have been doing extra chores at home to earn money to help buy food for needy families.
—Robbie Owens, CBS News, 20 Nov. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for needy
Cite this Entry
“Needy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/needy. Accessed 25 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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