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
The memo adds that the boxes should go directly from farms to needy seniors.
—Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 12 May 2025
California joined a coalition of states Tuesday in suing the Trump administration over massive cuts to AmeriCorps, the federal program that each year deploys hundreds of thousands of volunteers to natural disaster sites and needy communities nationwide, state Atty.
—Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2025
Their last best hope is to parrot a false narrative that benefits are being cut for the truly needy.
—Stewart Whitson, Boston Herald, 30 Apr. 2025
Andrade has said that all the settlement money — resulting from overpayments by the state — should have been returned to Florida to help provide health care for needy residents and that diverting it to Hope Florida and then a political action committee looks to be a crime.
—Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Apr. 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.
Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 12 May 2025
California joined a coalition of states Tuesday in suing the Trump administration over massive cuts to AmeriCorps, the federal program that each year deploys hundreds of thousands of volunteers to natural disaster sites and needy communities nationwide, state Atty.
—Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2025
Their last best hope is to parrot a false narrative that benefits are being cut for the truly needy.
—Stewart Whitson, Boston Herald, 30 Apr. 2025
Andrade has said that all the settlement money — resulting from overpayments by the state — should have been returned to Florida to help provide health care for needy residents and that diverting it to Hope Florida and then a political action committee looks to be a crime.
—Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Apr. 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 31 May. 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