needier; neediest
1
: being in want : poverty-stricken
needy families
… where needy children from the community could come to get free, nutritious meals.—
Liza N. Burby
Liza N. Burby2
: marked by want of affection, attention, or emotional support
emotionally needy
The girl was needy for her mother's affection.
neediness
noun
Synonyms
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
Could its ruthless and needy singer Neely O’Hara be inspired by Judy Garland?
—Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
The ring used the skimming technology to clone debit cards of participants in anti-poverty programs to steal unemployment benefits from needy people, prosecutors said.
—Michael Loria, USA TODAY, 2 Apr. 2024
The chaos of the war has spawned a spiraling set of pressures driving hunger — food prices have skyrocketed, crops have been left unattended in a nation already coping with waves of drought, the health-care system is reeling in many areas and aid groups have struggled to reach needy communities.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2024
The lack of funding means UNICEF, the World Food Program and other agencies are facing a critical shortfall to help needy Haitians.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2024
Lodge Dutch Oven Photograph: Amazon Lodge Enameled 5.5-Quart Dutch Oven for $40 ($10 off)
Walmart
The enameled Dutch oven does away with bare cast iron's needy tendencies.
—Nena Farrell, WIRED, 26 Nov. 2023
As incredible as all this may sound to the casual reader, based on these representations one of these needy companies, TVE, wired $50,000 to Brittingham Group on June 15, 2015.
—Jay Adkisson, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Cause has purchased Christmas presents for needy families in De Soto.
—Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2024
Cookware Deals Lodge Dutch Oven Photograph: Amazon Lodge Enameled 5.5-Quart Dutch Oven for $40 ($10 off)
Walmart
The enameled Dutch oven does away with bare cast iron's needy tendencies.
—Nena Farrell, WIRED, 25 Nov. 2023
Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
The ring used the skimming technology to clone debit cards of participants in anti-poverty programs to steal unemployment benefits from needy people, prosecutors said.
—Michael Loria, USA TODAY, 2 Apr. 2024
The chaos of the war has spawned a spiraling set of pressures driving hunger — food prices have skyrocketed, crops have been left unattended in a nation already coping with waves of drought, the health-care system is reeling in many areas and aid groups have struggled to reach needy communities.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2024
The lack of funding means UNICEF, the World Food Program and other agencies are facing a critical shortfall to help needy Haitians.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2024
Lodge Dutch Oven Photograph: Amazon Lodge Enameled 5.5-Quart Dutch Oven for $40 ($10 off)
Walmart
The enameled Dutch oven does away with bare cast iron's needy tendencies.
—Nena Farrell, WIRED, 26 Nov. 2023
As incredible as all this may sound to the casual reader, based on these representations one of these needy companies, TVE, wired $50,000 to Brittingham Group on June 15, 2015.
—Jay Adkisson, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Cause has purchased Christmas presents for needy families in De Soto.
—Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2024
Cookware Deals Lodge Dutch Oven Photograph: Amazon Lodge Enameled 5.5-Quart Dutch Oven for $40 ($10 off)
Walmart
The enameled Dutch oven does away with bare cast iron's needy tendencies.
—Nena Farrell, WIRED, 25 Nov. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'needy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near needy
Cite this Entry
“Needy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/needy. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
needy
adjective
needier; neediest
1
: being in want : very poor
needy families
2
: marked by want of affection, attention, or emotional support
a tendency to be emotionally needy
neediness
noun
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