Word
needy
US/ˈnidi/
UK/nˈiːdi/
Definitions
01poor or in want
B1 · Intermediate
adj. not having enough money, food, or the things you need to live.
adj. lacking the basic necessities of life, such as food, clothing, or adequate housing.
日本語:貧しい※
“The charity provides warm clothes and hot meals for needy families in the city.”
“The local government has increased funding for social programmes that support the most needy members of the community during the winter months.”
02emotionally demanding
B2 · Upper Intermediate Informal
adj. needing too much attention, love, or reassurance from other people.
adj. demonstrating an excessive need for emotional support, validation, or constant attention from others.
“He felt his girlfriend was becoming too needy because she texted him every ten minutes.”
“In professional environments, an overly needy employee can inadvertently drain the team's productivity by constantly seeking reassurance on minor tasks.”
Antonyms
03people in need
B2 · Upper Intermediate Plural noun Formal
n. people who are very poor and need help from others.
n. a collective noun referring to impoverished people as a group; almost always preceded by 'the'.
“The organization's mission is to help the needy by providing free medical care.”
“The philanthropist dedicated the latter half of her life to distributing her vast fortune among the needy in developing nations.”
Usage
Always used with the definite article 'the' to function as a plural noun.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“Needy couples got cash and a spending plan.” Etymology
From Middle English nedy, nedi (“necessitous”), from Old English nēdiġ, nīediġ ("of need, obligated, compelled"; found in the derivative nīediġnes (“obligation”)), from Proto-Germanic naudigaz (“of need, forced, compelled”), equivalent to need + -y. Cognate with Scots nedy, neidy (“needy, necessitous, impoverished”), Saterland Frisian niedich (“miserable, poor, wretched, needy”), Saterland Frisian nöödich (“necessary, needful”), West Frisian nedich (“needful, needed”), Dutch nodig (“necessary”), Middle Low German nōdich (“necessary, urgent, by requirement”), German nötig (“necessary, needful”), Danish nødig (“necessary”), Swedish nödig (“necessary”), Icelandic nauðugur (“constrained”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/needy
※ 機械で選んだ訳語です。ネイティブスピーカーによる確認はまだです。
「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0