as in poverty
the state of lacking sufficient money or material possessions
a family's general level of neediness is the determining factor in the allocation of charitable donations
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Recent Examples of neediness
But wanting emotional consistency is not neediness.
—
Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
She was sandwiched between their needinesses.
—Literary Hub, 5 Jan. 2026
What if your child is a black hole of neediness?
—Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
On the second take, Russell’s bossy tone rubbed up nicely against the neediness of the moment.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
As Koestler observes, crying is a signal not just of surrender but of neediness, designed to elicit succor and comfort from sympathizers.
—Big Think, 23 Sep. 2025
Still, Shannon is down in the dumps and annoyed by Tamra’s neediness to be forgiven for past sins.
—Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
Yet there’s always a childlike sense to both his anger and his neediness, having been denied the milk of human kindness by his maker.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2025
Abdul-Mateen and Kingsley are adorable in their bromance, the former’s combination of confidence and neediness playing against the latter’s oddball sense of humor.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
She was sandwiched between their needinesses.
—Literary Hub, 5 Jan. 2026
What if your child is a black hole of neediness?
—Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
On the second take, Russell’s bossy tone rubbed up nicely against the neediness of the moment.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
As Koestler observes, crying is a signal not just of surrender but of neediness, designed to elicit succor and comfort from sympathizers.
—Big Think, 23 Sep. 2025
Still, Shannon is down in the dumps and annoyed by Tamra’s neediness to be forgiven for past sins.
—Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
Yet there’s always a childlike sense to both his anger and his neediness, having been denied the milk of human kindness by his maker.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2025
Abdul-Mateen and Kingsley are adorable in their bromance, the former’s combination of confidence and neediness playing against the latter’s oddball sense of humor.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for neediness
Noun
-
Their journey from a fractious dynamic and rocky road to fraternal camaraderie was rooted in the fact that Shawn grew up in poverty, facing constant adversity, while Jack grew up in a stable household without wants.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Thousands of followers were drawn to the saint by his charisma, his evangelical zeal and his commitment to poverty and charity.—
Lianne Kolirin,
CNN Money,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The Italian carried on at Spurs for another 13 months before finally being put out of his misery after his much more memorable rant at Southampton in March 2023.—
Dan Kilpatrick,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2026
-
But Berthe has lost her whole family to the camps … isn’t the cause of her misery right there?—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Neediness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/neediness. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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