needfulness

noun

Definition of needfulnessnext
as in need
a state of being without something necessary, desirable, or useful I can scarcely describe my needfulness for a hot shower after a hard-fought game of racquetball

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for needfulness
  1. need
  2. lack
  3. absence
Noun
  • The film explores the contradictions of a Bulgarian town pulled into Europe’s shifting geopolitical order, where arms production for Ukraine’s frontlines collides with enduring ties to Russia, personal convictions, and the everyday need to survive.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The company recently introduced four-finger hands for Atlas, underscoring the need to design robotic hardware around practical requirements.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of need
Noun
  • High energy costs, coupled with record exits of foreign investors from its capital markets due to risk aversion and the lack of artificial intelligence play, have kept the rupee under pressure.
    — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
  • What should make all hardcore wheelmen and wheelwomen happy is the lack of a huge center screen.
    — Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of lack
Noun
  • The absence of an endorsement was a setback for the Likud politician, who had billed his tight ties to the Republican president as a selling point for staying in power.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
  • But in the absence of any federal rules, cities and states have been flexing their authority in an effort to bring order to some of the chaos.
    — Andrew Hawkins, The Verge, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of absence
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.

Browse Nearby Words

needful
needfulness
needfuls
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Needfulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/needfulness. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All