Synonyms of word need

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Synonyms for need

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1

as in to require

to have as a requirement

a national crisis that needs a strong leader to solve it


2

as in to must

to be under necessity or obligation to

you need not stand when she enters the room

1

as in lack

a state of being without something necessary, desirable, or useful

when it came time to wrap the presents, he found he was in need of adhesive tape


2

as in must

something necessary, indispensable, or unavoidable

got a job that barely provided for his basic needs


3

as in obligation

something one must do because of prior agreement

no need to apologize


4

as in poverty

the state of lacking sufficient money or material possessions

donating money to help those in need


Thesaurus Entries Near need

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“Need.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/need. Accessed 14 Apr. 2023.

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Merriam-Webster unabridged

Synonyms-thesaurus.com : synonyms dictionary, antonyms dictionary


Grammar : Noun, verb
Spell : need
Phonetic Transcription : nid

Top 10 synonyms for need

Other synonyms for the word need

  • be deficient
  • be deprived
  • be down and out
  • be hard up
  • be in need of
  • be in want
  • be inadequate
  • be needy
  • be poor
  • be short
  • be without
  • charge
  • claim
  • committal
  • compulsion
  • covet
  • crave
  • deficiency
  • deprivation
  • desideratum
  • destitution
  • devoir
  • die for
  • distress
  • do without
  • drive for
  • duty
  • essential
  • exact
  • exigency
  • extremity
  • feel a dearth of
  • feel the necessity for
  • feel the pinch
  • go hungry
  • hanker
  • have occasion for
  • have occasion to
  • have use for
  • hunger
  • hurt for
  • impecuniousness
  • impoverishment
  • inadequacy
  • indigence
  • insufficiency
  • long
  • longing
  • lust
  • miss
  • must
  • necessitate
  • neediness
  • occasion
  • ought
  • paucity
  • pennilessness
  • penury
  • pine
  • poorness
  • privation
  • requisite
  • suffer privation
  • the urge
  • thirst
  • urgency
  • use
  • want
  • weakness
  • wish
  • yearn
  • yen for

Définition of need

Origin :

  • Old English nied (West Saxon), ned (Mercian) «necessity, compulsion, duty; hardship, distress; errand, business,» originally «violence, force,» from Proto-Germanic *nauthis (cf. Old Saxon nod, Old Norse nauðr, Old Frisian ned, Middle Dutch, Dutch nood, Old High German not, German Not, Gothic nauþs «need»), probably cognate with Old Prussian nautin «need,» and perhaps with Old Church Slavonic nazda, Russian nuzda, Polish nędza «misery, distress,» from PIE *nau- «death, to be exhausted» (see narwhal).
  • The more common Old English word for «need, necessity, want» was ðearf, but they were connected via a notion of «trouble, pain,» and the two formed a compound, niedðearf «need, necessity, compulsion, thing needed.» Nied also might have been influenced by Old English neod «desire, longing,» which often was spelled the same. Common in Old English compounds, e.g. niedfaru «compulsory journey,» a euphemism for «death;» niedhæmed «rape,» the second element being an Old English word meaning «sexual intercourse;» niedling «slave.» Meaning «extreme poverty, destitution» is from c.1200.

  • noun want, requirement
  • noun poverty
  • noun emergency; pressing lack
  • verb want something

Example sentences :

  • One need not look so high as the old-fashioned stuccoed ceiling.
  • Extract from : « The Spenders » by Harry Leon Wilson
  • «They needn’t eat their lunch that way,» declared his sister.
  • Extract from : « The Spenders » by Harry Leon Wilson
  • I need cheerfulness and rest for a long time after this day in town.
  • Extract from : « The Spenders » by Harry Leon Wilson
  • I certainly did need you to come along right now and set me straight.
  • Extract from : « The Spenders » by Harry Leon Wilson
  • So you see, mother, we needn’t go to the poorhouse just yet.
  • Extract from : « Brave and Bold » by Horatio Alger
  • And you need it worse’n ever he did, if I got you sized up right.
  • Extract from : « The Spenders » by Harry Leon Wilson
  • I need the out-doors, and anyway you don’t need me down there.
  • Extract from : « The Spenders » by Harry Leon Wilson
  • Now you like it, and you got beauty—only you need more money.
  • Extract from : « The Spenders » by Harry Leon Wilson
  • «They needn’t wait another day for me,» Percival told him later.
  • Extract from : « The Spenders » by Harry Leon Wilson
  • «You needn’t trouble yourself to be grateful,» returned Robert, coolly.
  • Extract from : « Brave and Bold » by Horatio Alger

Antonyms for need

  • abjure
  • abundance
  • adequacy
  • affluence
  • comfort
  • despise
  • dislike
  • do not want
  • enough
  • fortune
  • give
  • hate
  • have
  • luxury
  • nonessential
  • not want
  • plenty
  • riches
  • sufficiency
  • wealth

Based on : Thesaurus.com — Gutenberg.org — Dictionary.com — Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Table of Contents

1. need

verb. [‘ˈniːd’] have need of.

Etymology

  • need (Middle English (1100-1500))
  • neodian (Old English (ca. 450-1100))

Rhymes with Need

  • guaranteed
  • disagreed
  • supersede
  • stampede
  • intercede
  • aristide
  • aristede
  • alwaleed
  • succeed
  • preceed
  • precede
  • overfeed
  • misread
  • mislead
  • misdeed
  • laclede
  • degreed
  • decreed
  • concede
  • walid
  • waleed
  • wahid
  • vahid
  • streed
  • sinead
  • shaheed
  • secede
  • screed
  • reseed
  • reread

How do you pronounce need?

Pronounce need as nid.

US — How to pronounce need in American English

UK — How to pronounce need in British English

Sentences with need

Quotes about need

3. need

noun. [‘ˈniːd’] a condition requiring relief.

Etymology

  • need (Middle English (1100-1500))
  • neodian (Old English (ca. 450-1100))

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