in need

prepositional phrase

Lacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent.

“a friend in need is a friend indeed”

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Meanings

prepositional phrase
  1. Lacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent.

    I donated the clothes my son outgrew to help children in need.

  2. In distress or otherwise difficult circumstances.

    a friend in need is a friend indeed

    1 more example

    The team came to the rescue of a whale in need.

  3. when followed by “of”Needing (the specified necessities).

    The house stands in need of urgent repairs.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
impoverished

Translations

Ancient Greek χρεῖος, δεόμενος
  • χρεῖος (khreîos)lacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
  • δεόμενος (deómenos)lacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
Arabic مِسْكِين
  • مِسْكِين (miskīn)lacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
Bengali মুহতাজ, মিসকিন
  • মুহতাজ (muhotaj)lacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
  • মিসকিন (miśokin)lacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
  • আল্হাদে (alhade)lacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
Bulgarian беден, нуждаещ се
  • беден (beden)lacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
  • нуждаещ се (nuždaešt se)lacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
Catalan necessitat, freturós
  • necessitatlacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
  • freturóslacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
Czech potřebný, chudý
  • potřebnýlacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
  • chudýlacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
Finnish puutteenalainen, vähävarainen
  • puutteenalainenlacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
  • vähävarainenlacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
  • köyhälacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
French dans le besoin, nécessiteux
  • dans le besoinlacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
  • nécessiteuxlacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
German bedürftig
  • bedürftiglacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
Irish díothach
  • díothachlacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
Italian povero, indigente
  • poverolacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
  • indigentelacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
  • bisognosolacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
Latin egens, inops
  • egenslacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
  • inopslacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
Māori takaonge
  • takaongelacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
Norwegian Bokmål trengende
  • trengendelacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
Persian نیازمند, فقیر
  • نیازمند (niâzmand)lacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
  • فقیر (faqir)lacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
Polish potrzebujący, biedujący
  • potrzebującylacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
  • biedującylacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
Portuguese necessitado, carenciado
  • necessitadolacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
  • carenciadolacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
Romanian sărac, nevoiaș
  • săraclacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
  • nevoiașlacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
Russian нужда́ющийся
  • нужда́ющийся (nuždájuščijsja)lacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
Scottish Gaelic uireasbhach
  • uireasbhachlacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
Spanish necesitado, menesteroso
  • necesitadolacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
  • menesterosolacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
Swedish behövande
  • behövandelacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
Turkish muhtaç, yoksul
  • muhtaçlacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
  • yoksullacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
  • fakirlacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
Ukrainian нужде́нний
  • нужде́нний (nuždénnyj)lacking basic necessities such as food and shelter; poor; indigent
Cite this entry
APA

in need. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20need

MLA

“in need.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20need. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “in need,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20need.

Source: in need on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.