needed

1. 1
   verb

   Simple past and past participle of need.

   The project needed several rounds of revision before approval.

   They had needed a larger venue for the annual conference.

   Note

   A regular verb, so one spelling covers several jobs. It is the simple past (they needed help) and the participle after have (they had needed help). It also gives the adjective meaning necessary its form. As a participle it makes passives of the transitive verb, as in more volunteers were needed. Followed by to, it carries the obligation sense: she needed to leave early.

2. 2
   adjective

   Necessary; required for a particular purpose or situation.

   The funding needed for the new clinic was finally approved.

   Relief workers delivered the badly needed supplies after the flood.

   Similarrequired, necessary, essential

   Oppositeunneeded

   Note

   An adjective made from the verb that rarely travels alone. It usually leans on an adverb that measures the need: much-needed, urgently needed, as-needed. Before a noun, the short pairings take a hyphen (a much-needed rest, as-needed support), while an adverb ending in -ly stays open (urgently needed reform). It compares with more and most: the most needed repairs. Its opposite is unneeded.

   After the long winter, the town finally got a much-needed bridge repair.

   The grant paid for urgently needed equipment at the clinic.

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