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
Mississippi has been so allergic to giving its citizens cash that Congress held hearings in September to understand how the state mismanaged federal funds for needy families.
—Belinda Luscombe, TIME, 2 Oct. 2024
As treasurer, Wittenberg led the county in creating the Oakland County Land Bank to boost investment in needy areas.
—Staff, Detroit Free Press, 21 Sep. 2024
New macOS Permissions Even before Sequoia, macOS was already a needy operating system, regularly seeking assent to let apps or services behave in certain ways.
—Barry Collins, Forbes, 20 Sep. 2024
Moving in together for the first time the young couple are attempting domestic bliss, but unbeknown to them, the house is haunted by a collection of needy spirits who died in Ramshead Manor over the last 200 years.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 16 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for needy 
Belinda Luscombe, TIME, 2 Oct. 2024
As treasurer, Wittenberg led the county in creating the Oakland County Land Bank to boost investment in needy areas.
—Staff, Detroit Free Press, 21 Sep. 2024
New macOS Permissions Even before Sequoia, macOS was already a needy operating system, regularly seeking assent to let apps or services behave in certain ways.
—Barry Collins, Forbes, 20 Sep. 2024
Moving in together for the first time the young couple are attempting domestic bliss, but unbeknown to them, the house is haunted by a collection of needy spirits who died in Ramshead Manor over the last 200 years.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 16 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for needy
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 6 Oct. 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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