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
No one wanted to break out of the pack and look desperate, needy, or shady and pull someone or a group of people into a separate room.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 2 Aug. 2024
In Drive-Away Dolls, lusty Jamie (Margaret Qualley) and bookish Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan) become more than best friends when escaping Jamie’s needy ex Sukie (a cop played by Beanie Feldstein) on a drive-away rental-car road trip to Tallahassee.
—Armond White, National Review, 31 July 2024
Those who are overwhelmingly negative, blame others, are excessively needy, or are casually cruel sometimes are called toxic.
—Susan Adcox, Parents, 22 July 2024
Couriers smuggle medicine from Port Sudan across the front lines for needy families.
—Hafiz Haroun, Washington Post, 19 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for needy 
Dalton Ross, EW.com, 2 Aug. 2024
In Drive-Away Dolls, lusty Jamie (Margaret Qualley) and bookish Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan) become more than best friends when escaping Jamie’s needy ex Sukie (a cop played by Beanie Feldstein) on a drive-away rental-car road trip to Tallahassee.
—Armond White, National Review, 31 July 2024
Those who are overwhelmingly negative, blame others, are excessively needy, or are casually cruel sometimes are called toxic.
—Susan Adcox, Parents, 22 July 2024
Couriers smuggle medicine from Port Sudan across the front lines for needy families.
—Hafiz Haroun, Washington Post, 19 July 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 19 Aug. 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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