needlepoint

noun

nee·​dle·​point ˈnē-dᵊl-ˌpȯint 

1

: lace worked with a needle over a paper pattern

2

: embroidery done on canvas usually in simple even stitches across counted threads

needlepoint adjective

needlepoint lace

needlepoint pillows

needlepoint intransitive verb

needlepointed; needlepointing

They passed the three hours needlepointing, reading and watching the Dodgers lose another game on TV.

—Robert Hilburn

Examples of needlepoint in a Sentence

She sold her needlepoint at the arts and crafts fair.

Her hobbies include knitting and needlepoint.

Recent Examples on the Web

Hermes found fewer needlepoints but a lot of First Amendment printouts hung on the walls and a lot of prints of Norman Rockwell’s painting of a newsroom. —Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 29 Nov. 2025

This needlepoint pillow looks like Grandma made it herself. —Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 23 Nov. 2025

At Stitch Club Atlanta's monthly gatherings, and weekly stitch nights at local needlepoint stores, needles click, glasses clink and conversations flow as dozens of women — and even a few pets — settle in for an evening of stitching, snacks and connection. —Alexa Liacko, CBS News, 23 Nov. 2025

Another slipper, this one with a skinny slingback strap, featured an intricate needlepoint design with red, yellow and blue enriching it — and more colorful needlepoints shoes came down the runway. —Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 1 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1865, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for needlepoint

• counterpoint
• disappoint
• multipoint
• reappoint
• adjoint
• anoint
• appoint
• checkpoint
• conjoint
• disjoint
• endpoint
• gunpoint

Kids Definition

needlepoint

noun

nee·​dle·​point ˈnēd-ᵊl-ˌpȯint 

: embroidery done on canvas or plastic usually in simple even stitches across counted threads