Word.ws English Dictionary

How to use need in a sentence

40 example sentences · noun, verb

Need means a requirement for something; something needed. Example: “There's no need to speculate; we can easily find out for sure.”

Examples of need by meaning

nounA requirement for something; something needed.

  • There's no need to speculate; we can easily find out for sure.
  • She grew irritated with his constant need for attention.
  • Our instant needs are not being met.

verbTo have an absolute requirement for.

  • Living things need water to survive.
  • You do not always need to go to the library to study. You may use the Internet.
  • She needed convincing that I was what she really needed.

verbTo want strongly; to feel that one must have something.

  • After ten days of hiking, I needed a shower and a shave.
  • Energy has seldom been found where we need it when we want it.2013 July-August, Henry Petroski, “Geothermal Energy”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 4

verbTo be obliged or required (to do something).

  • I need not go if I don't want to, need I?
  • I was wondering if I need fill in more forms. - No, that's the only one you need fill out.
  • I need never have packed my set of sunglasses - it rained all day every day.

verbTo be required; to be necessary.

  • Seeing the British establishment struggle with the financial sector is like watching an alcoholic who still resists the idea that something drastic needs to happen for him to turn his life around.2013 June 28, Joris Luyendijk, “Our banks are out of control”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 3, page 21

More sentences with need

  • We need to be sure these maps are accurate to within one minute of arc.From the entry minute
  • You may be able to barter for some of the items you need at the local market.From the entry barter
  • Right now I need to head into town to do some shopping.From the entry head
  • England need a hundred runs, with twenty-five overs remaining. Game on!From the entry on
  • That horse is twenty-to-one on, so you need to stake twenty pounds just to win one pound.From the entry on
  • The staff were very accommodating and made sure we had everything we needed.From the entry accommodating
  • I need to keep in with the neighbours in case I ever need a favour from them.From the entry in
  • We need to obfuscate these classes before we ship the final release.From the entry obfuscate
  • If we want the motion to pass, we will need a second.From the entry second
  • I'll be there in a bit; I need to take care of something first.From the entry bit
  • For this building project we need to use quality materials that will last for many decades.From the entry quality
  • If you want to buy a bicycle, you need to put the money in your piggy bank.From the entry bank
  • The idea was new to me. I need to meet new people.From the entry new
  • Ask him that he tell her —No need to, she'll already know by know.From the entry ask
  • You need to talk to John about that – it's his baby.From the entry baby
  • To display a number, you need to cast it to a string type.From the entry cast
  • The cast would need a great deal of machining to become a recognizable finished part.From the entry cast
  • Humans, like other animals, need air to breathe and food to eat.From the entry animal
  • If you want me to buy your weed I’ll need a picture.From the entry picture
  • I need some more books to read and friends to go partying with.From the entry to
  • You need to relax, all this overtime and stress is making you tense.From the entry tense
  • I really need to get into the habit of writing down what I spend.From the entry habit
  • If you need help, please contact a member of the crew.From the entry crew
  • I need to update my records to take account of the most recent transaction.From the entry update
  • We both need a week retreat after those two stressful years working in the city.From the entry retreat
  • I need a bucket to carry the water from the well.From the entry bucket
  • At higher altitudes you need to breathe your horse more often.From the entry breathe
  • Let's save the packaging in case we need to send the product back.From the entry save

Meaning of need

  1. noun A requirement for something; something needed.
  2. noun A desire or craving for the satisfaction of a requirement perceived as essential or primal.
  3. noun Lack of means of subsistence; poverty; indigence; destitution.

Full definition of need

Questions about need in a sentence

How do you use need in a sentence?
Need is used as a noun and verb. For example: “There's no need to speculate; we can easily find out for sure.”
What is a short sentence with need?
“Living things need water to survive.”
What does need mean?
Need means a requirement for something; something needed.

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: need (page history and authors) and the entries each sentence comes from. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws chose the sentences, left out offensive ones and quotations older than 1900, and marked the word in each. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this page: “How to use need in a sentence.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/sentences/need. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.