Synonyms for need
Another word for need is demand, want or motivation. Below are 17 synonyms and 30 related words across 7 senses.
Also searched as: needer, needing.
1. noun: a condition requiring relief
- demand synonyms
2. noun: anything that is necessary but lacking
3. noun: 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
- motivation synonyms
- motive synonyms
4. noun: a state of extreme poverty or destitution
- penury
- indigence
- pauperism
- pauperization
5. verb: require as useful, just, or proper
- take synonyms
- call for synonyms
- ask synonyms
- demand synonyms
- require synonyms
- involve synonyms
- necessitate
- postulate
- claim synonyms
- exact synonyms
6. verb: have need of
- want synonyms
- require synonyms
7. verb: have or feel a need for
Related words
Broader, narrower and sibling terms from the same WordNet tree. They aren't interchangeable, but one of them is often the word you wanted.
- lack synonyms
- status
- condition synonyms
- necessity synonyms
- deficiency synonyms
- necessary synonyms
- essential synonyms
- requirement synonyms
- requisite synonyms
- life synonyms
- mental energy
- ethics synonyms
- psychological feature
- urge synonyms
- morality synonyms
- psychic energy
- impulse synonyms
- ethical motive
- rational motive
- morals
- irrational motive
- poverty
- impoverishment
- beggary
- poorness
- mendicity
- mendicancy
- come to synonyms
- use up synonyms
- turn on synonyms
Need in word games
- Letters
- 4
- Scrabble
- 5
- Words With Friends
- 6
- How common
- Everyday word
- Unscramble NEED
- Is NEED a word?
- Words starting with N
Questions people ask
What is another word for need?
You can say demand, want, motivation, motive or penury instead of need. Which one fits depends on the sense; the first sense above means "a condition requiring relief".
What is the opposite of need?
WordNet lists no direct antonym for need; the nearest opposites depend on which sense you mean.
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Senses and synonyms from Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0); the most common words come first. Browse more on the synonyms and antonyms hub.