needy

Meaning

1. In need; poor.
2. Desiring constant affirmation; lacking self-confidence.
3. (archaic) Needful; necessary.

Synonyms

poor

indigent

necessitous

destitute

impoverished

penniless

in need

poverty-stricken

miserable

destitude

broke

impecunious

pauper

helpless

hollow

very poor

deprived

inadequate

dependent

insecure

insolvent

landless

deficient

broken

needful

orphaned

not wealthy

beggars

beggar

barren

resourceless

run out of

scanty

sterile

straitened

unsafe

vacant

void

wanting

bare

poor people

poor person

bankrupt

empty

Translations

necesitado

nécessiteux

povero

bedürftig

arm

bisognoso

indigent

behoeftig

vide

pauvre

berooid

indigente

nooddruftig

dans le besoin

notleidend

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈniːdi/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: nedy

Inherited from Old English: nēdiġ

Cognate with Scots: nedy

Cognate with Saterland Frisian: niedich

Cognate with Saterland Frisian: nöödich

Cognate with Western Frisian: nedich

Cognate with Dutch: nodig

Cognate with Middle Low German: nōdich

Cognate with German: nötig

Cognate with Danish: nødig

Cognate with Swedish: nödig

Cognate with Icelandic: nauðugur

In summary

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”).