neediness C2+ Topic:Mind & Cognition US /ˈnidinəs/ UK /ˈniːdinəs/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 noun the state of being in want, or of demanding excessive attention or affection His constant calls betrayed a neediness she found exhausting. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · the state of being in want,... destitutionindigencepovertywantdependencyclinginessinsecurity ↔ Opposites self-sufficiencyindependenceaffluencewealth Word family Related forms needneedyneedful Etymology AI details From needy (from need, from Old English nied, neod, 'necessity, distress', from Proto-Germanic *naudiz) plus -ness. nied Old English *naudiz Proto-Germanic View etymology graph -> Topics Mind & Cognition Word Formation & Derivatives External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # neediness **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /ˈnidinəs/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈniːdinəs/ ## Meanings 1. the state of being in want, or of demanding excessive attention or affection ## Examples - His constant calls betrayed a neediness she found exhausting. ## Synonyms - destitution - indigence - poverty - want - dependency - clinginess - insecurity ## Antonyms - self-sufficiency - independence - affluence - wealth ## Related Forms - need - needy - needful ## Roots and Affixes - Root: nied - Root: *naudiz ## Etymology From needy (from need, from Old English nied, neod, 'necessity, distress', from Proto-Germanic *naudiz) plus -ness. ## AI Etymology Neediness comes from needy (from need, from Old English nied, neod, 'necessity, distress', from Proto-Germanic *naudiz) plus -ness. The etymological trail includes Old English nied and Proto-Germanic *naudiz. As a noun, neediness means the state of being in want, or of demanding excessive attention or affection. The same family is visible in related forms such as need, needy, and needful. ## Topics - Mind & Cognition - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown