needy

American  

[nee-dee] / ˈni di /

adjective

needier, neediest

1. in a condition of need or want; extremely poor and not having the basic necessities.

   If your car is serviceable, it will be repaired and donated to a needy family.

2. having or exhibiting an excessive emotional need, as for attention, intimacy, or reassurance.

   As he became more competent and less needy, his interpersonal relationships improved.

3. having many needs to be met.

   Cats aren’t as needy as dogs.

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noun

(used with a plural verb)

1. Sometimes Disparaging and Offensive. Usually the needy extremely poor people collectively.

needy British  

/ ˈniːdɪ /

adjective

1. 1. in need of practical or emotional support; distressed

   2. ( as collective noun; preceded by the )

      the needy

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Usage

What does needy mean? Needy is an adjective meaning poor. It can also be used as a noun referring collectively to people who are poor or otherwise in need, as in Your donation will help the needy. Another, more informal use of needy is as a negative adjective meaning demanding or having a lot needs to be met. It’s especially used to describe someone who requires a lot of attention in a relationship. A similar term is high-maintenance. Example: The food bank is intended for needy people who have no other way to get food.

Other Word Forms

• needily adverb
• unneedy adjective

Etymology

Origin of needy

First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English nedi; see origin at need, -y ¹

Explanation

People who are needy don't have enough of life's necessities, like money, food, water, education, or shelter. Many charities collect money that helps needy people. Truly needy people go without food or warmth, for example, and often need help from others. As a group, these people are sometimes referred to as "the needy." A more lighthearted way to use the adjective is to mean "demanding or difficult." This type of needy person requires frequent reassurance or emotional support: "She's a good friend, but she can be so needy sometimes."

Example Sentences

I just rewatched all of these a few times in a row for sound, and Roy Wood Jr. is so smooth it makes me feel like I’m needy and insecure on the stage.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

The needy can also ask for clothing at 523 Amazor street in the Buenos Aires suburb of Fiorito, where the player dubbed Argentina's "Golden Boy" grew up in grinding poverty.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

Florida does have a medically needy or “share of cost” program, which allows individuals with income slightly above the Medicaid threshold to qualify by treating the excess income as a deductible.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026

As AI labs obsess over the amount of time people spend with their products, chatbots have become ferociously needy people pleasers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026

From the rear—particularly where his vertebrae were visible—he might almost have passed for one of those needy metropolitan children who are sent out every summer to endowed camps to be fattened and sunned.

From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger

Related Words

• destitute
• disadvantaged
• indigent
• penniless
• poor
• poverty-stricken
• underprivileged