51Թ

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need

[ need ]

noun

  1. a requirement, necessary duty, or obligation:

    There is no need for you to go there.

  2. a lack of something wanted or deemed necessary:

    to fulfill the needs of the assignment.

  3. urgent want, as of something requisite:

    He has no need of your charity.

    Synonyms:

  4. necessity arising from the circumstances of a situation or case:

    There is no need to worry.

  5. a situation or time of difficulty; exigency:

    to help a friend in need;

    to be a friend in need.

    Synonyms:

  6. a condition marked by the lack of something requisite:

    the need for leadership.

  7. destitution; extreme poverty:

    The family's need is acute.

    Synonyms: , , ,

    Antonyms:



verb (used with object)

  1. to have need of; require:

    to need money.

    Synonyms: ,

verb (used without object)

  1. to be under an obligation (used as an auxiliary, typically in an interrogative or in a negative statement, and followed by infinitive, in certain cases without to; in the 3d person singular the form is need, not needs ):

    He need not go.

  2. to be in need or want.
  3. to be necessary:

    There needs no apology.

need

/ Ծː /

verb

  1. tr to be in want of

    to need money

  2. tr to require or be required of necessity (to be or do something); be obliged

    to need to do more work

  3. takes an infinitive without to used as an auxiliary in negative and interrogative sentences to express necessity or obligation, and does not add -s when used with he, she, it, and singular nouns

    need he go?

  4. archaic.
    intr to be essential or necessary to

    there needs no reason for this

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. the fact or an instance of feeling the lack of something

    he has need of a new coat

  2. a requirement

    the need for vengeance

  3. necessity or obligation resulting from some situation

    no need to be frightened

  4. distress or extremity

    a friend in need

  5. extreme poverty or destitution; penury
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other 51Թ Forms

  • Աİ noun
  • ܲ·ԱĻ adjective
  • ɱ-ԱĻ adjective
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of need1

First recorded before 900; Middle English noun nede, Old English ŧ ( West Saxon ī ), cognate with German Not, Old Norse nauth, Gothic nauths
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of need1

Old English nēad, nied; related to Old Frisian ŧ, Old Saxon ō, Old High German ō
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Idioms and Phrases

  1. if need be, should the necessity arise:

    If need be, I can type the letters myself.

More idioms and phrases containing need

In addition to the idiom beginning with need , also see cry for (crying need for). .
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Synonym Study

Need, necessity imply a want, a lack, or a demand, which must be filled. Need, a word of Old English origin, has connotations that make it strong in emotional appeal: the need to be appreciated. Necessity, a word of Latin origin, is more formal and impersonal or objective; though much stronger than need in expressing urgency or imperative demand, it is less effective in appealing to the emotions: Water is a necessity for living things.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

And as they worked their way through his slump, the Lakers did the kind of things they’ll certainly need in bulk as they prepare for back-to-back games against the West-leading Oklahoma City Thunder.

From

That includes the time needed to "consider a long list of factors when deciding where to source their products - quality, costs, speed to market and various social and environmental compliance risks".

From

"But we need to have an even playing field."

From

It helps women who have complex needs with issues such as addiction, mental health and housing.

From

Rubio said the US had to balance global humanitarian rescue work with "other needs" and "other priorities" that were in the US national interests.

From

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When To Use

What are other ways to say need?

To need something is to have need of it. How does need compare to synonyms want, lack, and require? Find out on .

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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