late 12c., neodi "poor, indigent," from need (n.) + adjectival suffix -y (2). Similar formation in Dutch noodig, German nothig, Old Norse nauðigr. As a noun from mid-14c. Related: Needily; neediness.
needlepoint
needless
needlework
needs
needways
needy
neep
neese
nefandous
nefarious
negate
