Requiring a lot of attention, help, or resources; describing someone who depends heavily on others for emotional or material support. It can also mean poor or lacking necessities.
From Old English 'neod' meaning 'necessity' or 'hardship,' plus the adjective suffix '-y.' The modern sense of emotionally dependent is a 20th-century development.
The word 'needy' has become more psychologically complex over time—it started as just meaning 'poor,' but now often describes someone's emotional dependency, showing how our vocabulary evolves with psychology.
Historically feminized through caregiving expectations. Women labeled 'needy' faced social censure for expressing legitimate needs; men's identical requests framed as 'ambitious' or 'reasonable.'
Use descriptively ('requires support') rather than pejoratively. Avoid as character judgment.
["requires assistance","dependent","support-seeking"]
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.