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Need Very Common

Need has 9 different meanings across 2 categories:

Noun · Verb

Definitions
Noun
1

a condition requiring relief

"she satisfied his need for affection"

"God has no need of men to accomplish His work"

"there is a demand for jobs"

2

anything that is necessary but lacking

"he had sufficient means to meet his simple needs"

"I tried to supply his wants"

3

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"

4

a state of extreme poverty or destitution

"their indigence appalled him"

"a general state of need exists among the homeless"

5

A requirement for something; something needed.

"The project requires a dedicated team of engineers to meet the deadline, making specialized software their essential need."

In plain English: A need is something you absolutely must have to survive or function properly.

"I need to buy some milk before we leave."

Usage: Use "need" as a noun to describe a specific requirement or something essential that is lacking. It often appears in phrases like "a basic need" or "meet the needs of," where it refers to the state of requiring an item or service rather than the action of wanting it.

Verb
1

require as useful, just, or proper

"It takes nerve to do what she did"

"success usually requires hard work"

"This job asks a lot of patience and skill"

"This position demands a lot of personal sacrifice"

"This dinner calls for a spectacular dessert"

"This intervention does not postulate a patient's consent"

2

have need of

"This piano wants the attention of a competent tuner"

3

have or feel a need for

"always needing friends and money"

4

To have an absolute requirement for.

"You absolutely need a valid passport to board an international flight, so please make sure you get it renewed before your trip."

In plain English: To need something as a verb means to require it because you cannot do without it.

"I need to buy some milk for breakfast."

Usage: Use "need" as a verb to express a strong necessity or lack of something essential. It functions directly with a noun phrase or an infinitive without "to," such as in "I need help" or "She needs to leave."

Example Sentences
"I need to buy some milk before we leave." noun
"He realized he had no time left to meet his deadline and needed immediate help." noun
"The project failed because we did not have enough funds or the proper tools to complete it." noun
"She felt a sudden pang of need for comfort after receiving bad news from work." noun
"I need to buy some milk for breakfast." verb
Related Terms
want requirement desire necessity require must have necessary must have wanting essential like feeling badly thneed needless executive ego function overdue vandalise delicacy
Antonyms
rid of
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
condition necessity psychological feature poverty be
Narrower Terms (hyponyms)
lack necessity life rational motive irrational motive urge ethical motive psychic energy beggary claim govern draw cost cry out for compel cry

Origin

The word "need" comes from Middle English as a merger of two Old English terms: one meaning necessity or compulsion and another meaning desire. Ultimately, these roots trace back to Proto-Indo-European words related to death and movement, respectively.

Rhyming Words
eed feed meed seed heed weed teed deed keed peed leed beed reed steed speed freed ogeed greed treed kneed
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