needy

adjective

\ ˈnē-dē

needier; neediest

Definition of needy

1 : being in want : poverty-stricken needy families … where needy children from the community could come to get free, nutritious meals.— Liza N. Burby

2 : marked by want of affection, attention, or emotional support emotionally needy The girl was needy for her mother's affection.

Other Words from needy Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about needy

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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

One core reason to have unions is to boost the real wages of needy workers. — Tyler Cowen, Twin Cities, "Tyler Cowen: Keep unions away from graduate students at private universities," 17 June 2019 Adult public assistance payments to needy aged, blind and disabled Alaskans have been cut by $7.5 million through a veto. — James Brooks, Anchorage Daily News, "Here’s a rundown of Gov. Dunleavy’s line-item budget vetoes," 29 June 2019 However, just 31 percent of those polled supported increased spending on assistance to the unemployed and 35 percent backed providing more aid to the world’s needy. — NBC News, "Federal spending: creeping socialism or critical needs?," 28 June 2019 For instance, the person-to-person microlending site Kiva has, over the past 15 years, let 1.6 million people provide small-amount loans totaling more than $1 billion to more than 2 million needy entrepreneurs in developing countries. — Nir Kshetri, The Conversation, "Facebook’s Libra may be quite attractive in developing countries," 25 June 2019 Balfe runs the gamut from caring to angry, frightened, tough, needy and joyful. — Outlander Fan, Marie Claire, "5 Biggest Takeaways From 'Outlander' Season 4 Episode 5," 3 Dec. 2018 Women are usually looked at as weak and needy and Savage is just that different woman. — Steff Yotka, Vogue, "See Every Cheeky Piece From Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty Valentine’s Collection," 8 Jan. 2019 Forty-five states, acting under court orders, threats or settlements, have directed money specifically to their neediest districts. — Eric A. Hanushek And, WSJ, "The War on Poverty Remains a Stalemate," 17 Mar. 2019 Volunteers are in particularly high demand around the holidays, when many needy people feel the sting of the holidays deeply. — Emily Chiu, Redbook, "6 Simple Things That Help Me Deal With Holiday Depression," 29 Nov. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'needy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.