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ENGLISH THESAURUS & DICTIONARY

need

noun · verb

Words like need

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78 words · noun, verbSort by

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MEANING & USAGE

Definitions & examples

01noun

a condition requiring relief

“she satisfied his need for affection”

“God has no need of men to accomplish His work”

02noun

anything that is necessary but lacking

“he had sufficient means to meet his simple needs”

“I tried to supply his wants”

03noun

the psychological feature that arouses an organism to action toward a desired goal; the reason for the action; that which gives purpose and direction to behavior

“we did not understand his motivation”

“he acted with the best of motives”

04noun

a state of extreme poverty or destitution

“their indigence appalled him”

“a general state of need exists among the homeless”

3 more meanings

05verb

require as useful, just, or proper

“It takes nerve to do what she did”

“success usually requires hard work”

06verb

have need of

“This piano wants the attention of a competent tuner”

07verb

have or feel a need for

“always needing friends and money”

Meanings and examples from Open English WordNet 2025. About our sources ↗