Needy
/ˈniːdi/noun
Lacking the necessities of life or requiring a lot of support, attention, or help.
Did you know?The word comes from Old English *nēod*, meaning “need, necessity, distress,” so its oldest sense was less about clinginess and more about raw survival.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*naudiz
“Need, necessity, distress”
Old English
OE
nēod
“Need, necessity, urgency, distress”
Old English
OE
nēodiġ
“Needing, in want, necessary”
Middle English
ME
nedy
“Poor, in want, needy”
Modern English
English
needy
“Lacking material resources or requiring attention or support”