Need and Pining

Need

Need noun - A state of being without something necessary, desirable, or useful.

Pining and need are semantically related. In some cases you can use "Pining" instead a noun "Need".

Nearby Words: needed, needs, needy, needless, needful

Pining

Pining noun - A strong wish for something.
Usage example: a sudden pining to have steak for dinner

Need and pining are semantically related. Sometimes you can use "Need" instead a noun "Pining".

Nearby Word: pined

Both words in one sentence

  • In The Lies of Locke Lamora, Locke suffers this when his friends tell him You Need to Get Laid and he tries to hire a prostitute, because he's still pining over Sabetha to the point that no other woman will do.
Cite this Source
Pining and Need. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/need/pining
Need & Pining. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/need/pining>.
Pining or Need. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/need/pining.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "need" and "pining" have occurred on timeline