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

Mary Clair Cumbaa, the founder of Cumbaa Design Co, is drawn to needlepoint pillows in florals and hopes to see more of them incorporated into rooms. —Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 29 Jan. 2026

While there’s no matching shams, their catalog lists many a pillowcase that would make a perfect companion, like this corduroy piece with a ruffled edge and needlepoint embroidery. —Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 26 Jan. 2026

The women attendees hid books beneath their needlepoint, children playing in the yard to warn them of approaching Taliban morality police. —Literary Hub, 11 Dec. 2025

The store also sells tools to start needlepoint. —Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 2 Dec. 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