# needy

/ˈnidi/ (US) · /nˈiːdi/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/needy
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. poor or in want

adjective · CEFR B1

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

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

- 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.

### 2. emotionally demanding

adjective · CEFR B2 · Informal

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

For teachers: 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.

### 3. people in need

noun · CEFR B2 · Formal

people who are very poor and need help from others.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- He is very needy and calls his friends every hour.
- The new puppy is quite needy and follows me into every room of the house.
- While some people appreciate being wanted, others find it exhausting to maintain a relationship with a partner who is constantly needy and requires daily validation of their worth.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.