needy

English

Etymology

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Middle English nedy, nedi (“necessitous”), from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Old English nēdiġ, *nīediġ ("of need, obligated, compelled"; found in the derivative nīediġnes (“obligation”)), from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] 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”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈniːdi/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːdi

Adjective

needy (comparative needier, superlative neediest)

1. In need; poor.

   Needy people want to give too, but have few material goods to offer.

   • 29 February 2012, Aidan Foster-Carter, BBC News North Korea: The denuclearisation dance resumes [1]

     Such monitoring has often been a sticking point in the past, amid fears that food aid might be diverted to the Northern elite - or its military - rather than the needy.

2. Desiring constant affirmation; lacking self-confidence.

   It's emotionally exhausting to be around her because she's so needy.

3. (archaic) Needful; necessary.
   • 1861, Isaak August Dorner, ‎Patrick Fairbairn, History of the development of the doctrine of the person of Christ

     It is the measure of things, and their time (that is, their measure, as to space and time), and yet it is above, and prior to, time: it is full in needy things, and overflows in full things; it is unutterable, innominable: it is above understanding […]

Synonyms

• (in need): See also Thesaurus:impoverished

Antonyms

• (desiring constant affirmation): confident, self-sufficient

Derived terms

• neediness

Translations

in need, poor

• Arabic: مِسْكِين (miskīn)
• Czech: potřebný (cs) m, chudý (cs) m
• Finnish: puutteenalainen, vähävarainen, köyhä (fi)
• French: dans le besoin (fr) m or f, nécessiteux (fr) m, nécessiteuse (fr) f
• Georgian: გაჭირვებული (gač̣irvebuli), საჭიროების მქონე (sač̣iroebis mkone)
• German: bedürftig (de)
• Greek:

  Ancient: χρεῖος (khreîos)

• Irish: díothach
• Italian: povero (it) m, indigente (it), bisognoso (it) m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Latin: egens, inops
• Maori: takaonge
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: trengende

• Persian: نیازمند (fa) (niâzmand), فقیر (fa) (faqir)
• Polish: potrzebujący (pl), biedujący
• Portuguese: necessitado (pt) m
• Russian: нужда́ющийся (ru) (nuždájuščijsja)
• Scottish Gaelic: uireasbhach
• Spanish: necesitado (es), pobre (es), menesteroso
• Turkish: muhtaç (tr), yoksul (tr), fakir (tr)

needing constant affirmation

• Portuguese: carente (pt)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

Anagrams

• Edney