Synonyms of needy

needy

adjective

ˈnē-dē 

as in impoverished

lacking money or material possessions

those generous souls who regularly give money and donate clothes to help the needy

Synonyms & Similar Words

• impoverished
• poor
• broke
• indigent
• destitute
• needful
• impecunious
• beggared
• deprived
• necessitous
• famished
• bankrupt
• penniless
• down-and-out
• penurious
• poverty-stricken
• dirt-poor
• depressed
• pauperized
• beggarly
• disadvantaged
• hard up
• underprivileged
• out of pocket
• bankrupted
• threadbare
• out at elbows
• skint
• distressed
• dispossessed
• down on one's luck
• ruined
• unaffluent
• insolvent
• bust
• pinched
• reduced
• cash-strapped
• short
• straitened
• poorish
• possessionless
• hardscrabble
• hand-to-mouth
• low
• tapped out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• wealthy
• rich
• affluent
• well-to-do
• moneyed
• fat
• opulent
• flush
• well-off
• comfortable
• prosperous
• well-heeled
• fat-cat
• deep-pocketed
• silk-stocking

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of needy

The most tantalizing, quarterback Malik Willis, could command $15 million annually or more in a QB-needy market. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 21 Jan. 2026

Unfortunately, Martin’s blunt and borderline rude bedside manner rubs the quirky, needy locals the wrong way, including schoolteacher Louisa Gavin (Abigail Spencer). —Katie Campione, Deadline, 21 Jan. 2026

Similarly, the Community Council for Giving collected $5,000 worth of food and gas gift cards for needy residents. —Anita Gosch, Oc Register, 19 Jan. 2026

The pitching-needy Baltimore Orioles are also a logical fit for Valdez, who spent his first eight seasons with the Houston Astros. —Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 14 Jan. 2026