need
English · Thesaurus
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need¹
- /niːd/ UK
- [nɪi̯d] UK
- /nid/ Canada, US
Sounds like knead, kneed · Rhymes with -iːd
Where it comes from
* Old English nīed (West Saxon), nēd (Mercian), nēad (“necessity, compulsion, want”), from Proto-West Germanic *naudi, from Proto-Germanic *naudiz, from Proto-Indo-European *neh₂w- (“death”).
* Old English nēod (“desire, longing”), from Proto-West Germanic *niudi (“desire, eagerness”), from Proto-Indo-European *new- (“to incline, tend, move, push, nod, wave”).
noun needs
- A requirement for something; something needed. There's no need to speculate; we can easily find out for sure.
- A desire or craving for the satisfaction of a requirement perceived as essential or primal.
- Lack of means of subsistence; poverty; indigence; destitution. Famine is in thy cheeks; Need and oppression starveth in thine eyes.
need²
- /niːd/ UK
- [nɪi̯d] UK
- /nid/ Canada, US
Sounds like knead, kneed · Rhymes with -iːd
verb needs · needing · needed · need
- To have an absolute requirement for. Living things need water to survive.
-
To want strongly; to feel that one must have something.
After ten days of hiking, I needed a shower and a shave.
Similar: desire, wish for, would like, want, will, be without, lack
- To be obliged or required (to do something). I need not go if I don't want to, need I?
- To be required; to be necessary. When we have done it, we have done our duty, and all that is in our power, and indeed all that needs.
- To be necessary (to someone). More ample spirit, then hitherto was wount, / Here needes me […]
Similar: be in need of, require
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: necessitate, must, have got, have, ought, require, demand, should, want, ask, motive, motivation, involve, take, pauperism, penury
verb
Similar: be in need of, require
Translations
Every language
noun something required
| Español | necesidad, menesteres |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 필요 piryo |
| 日本語 | 必要 hitsuyō |
| 中文 | 需求 xūqiú |
| हिन्दी | आवश्यकता āvaśyaktā, ज़रूरत zarūrat |
| Kiswahili | uhitaji, haja |
| Português | necessidade |
| Français | besoin, nécessité |
| Deutsch | Notwendigkeit, Bedarf, Bedürfnis |
| Italiano | bisogno, necessità, requisito, esigenza |
| Ελληνικά | ανάγκη anágki |
| Română | necesitate, cerință, nevoie |
| Русский | нужда́ nuždá, потре́бность potrébnostʹ, необходи́мость neobxodímostʹ, потре́ба potréba |
| Tiếng Việt | nhu cầu |
| العربية | حَاجَة ḥāja, ضَرُورَة ḍarūra, اِحْتِيَاج iḥtiyāj |
| עברית | צורך \ צֹרֶךְ tsórekh |
noun lack of means of subsistence
| Español | necesidad, egestad |
|---|---|
| Português | necessidade |
| Deutsch | Not |
| Italiano | indigenza |
verb to have an absolute requirement for
| Español | necesitar/precisar (de), hacer(le) falta a, ocupar |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 필요하다 piryohada, 요하다 yohada |
| 日本語 | 必要する hitsuyōto-surú, ...が必要 ...ga hitsuyō, 要る iru |
| 中文 | 需要 xūyào |
| हिन्दी | मुहताज होना muhtāj honā |
| Kiswahili | -hitaji |
| Português | precisar, necessitar |
| Français | avoir besoin de, nécessiter |
| Deutsch | benötigen, brauchen |
| Italiano | avere bisogno di |
| Ελληνικά | χρειάζομαι chreiázomai |
| Română | trebui, avea nevoie de |
| Русский | нужда́ться nuždátʹsja, быть ну́жным bytʹ núžnym, тре́боваться trébovatʹsja |
| Tiếng Việt | cần |
| العربية | اِحْتَاجَ iḥtāja |
| עברית | צריך tsaríkh |
verb to want strongly
| Español | necesitar/precisar (de), hacer(le) falta a |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 필요하다 piryohada, 요하다 yohada |
| 日本語 | 要る iru |
| 中文 | 需要 xūyào, 要 yào |
| हिन्दी | ज़रूरत होना zarūrat honā |
| Português | precisar |
| Français | avoir besoin de |
| Deutsch | brauchen |
| Tiếng Việt | cần, muốn |
| العربية | اِحْتَاجَ iḥtāja |
verb to be obliged to
| Español | necesitar, ser necesario que |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | しなければいけない shinakereba ikenai, 義務がある gimu ga aru |
| 中文 | 必要 bìyào, 必需 bìxū, 得 děi |
| Português | precisar, necessitar |
| Français | être obligé de, nécessiter |
| Deutsch | müssen |
| Italiano | necessitare |
| Română | trebui |
| Tiếng Việt | cần phải |
Talk about this word "need." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/need. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026. need. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/need "need." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 5, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/need.Cite this
@misc{need_2026,
title = {need},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/need},
urldate = {2026-11-05}
}
