What does "needy" mean?

1. (poor or in want) not having enough money, food, or the things you need to live. 2. (emotionally demanding) needing too much attention, love, or reassurance from other people. 3. (people in need) people who are very poor and need help from others.

How do you use "needy"?

Always used with the definite article 'the' to function as a plural noun.

needy

adj. · n.

US //ˈnidi// UK //nˈiːdi// needy

1 poor or in want (adj.)
B1 Intermediate

not having enough money, food, or the things you need to live.

lacking the basic necessities of life, such as food, clothing, or adequate housing.

Example

The charity provides warm clothes and hot meals for needy families in the city.

Example

The local government has increased funding for social programmes that support the most needy members of the community during the winter months.
- wealthy
- affluent
2 emotionally demanding (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

needing too much attention, love, or reassurance from other people.

demonstrating an excessive need for emotional support, validation, or constant attention from others.

Example

He felt his girlfriend was becoming too needy because she texted him every ten minutes.

Example

In professional environments, an overly needy employee can inadvertently drain the team's productivity by constantly seeking reassurance on minor tasks.
- independent
- self sufficient

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3 people in need (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Formal

people who are very poor and need help from others.

a collective noun referring to impoverished people as a group; almost always preceded by 'the'.

Example

The organization's mission is to help the needy by providing free medical care.

Example

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.
- the poor
- the underprivileged
- the rich

Origin

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”).