necessitous

necessitous — 形容詞

  • necessitouspositive
  • more necessitouscomparative
  • most necessitoussuperlative

1. lacking the money and basic things needed for a decent life; extremely poor

1.形容詞C2
釋義

貧困的

缺乏金錢與基本生活所需的狀態

lacking the money and basic things needed for a decent life; extremely poor

例句

Imani helped hand out warm blankets to necessitous families after the factory closed.

Imani 幫忙發放保暖毛毯給工廠倒閉後陷入貧困的家庭。

attributive: necessitous + [group of people]

The fund was set up to support necessitous students who could not afford lunch.

這筆基金是為了幫助那些負擔不起午餐的貧困學生而設立的。

常見搭配
  • necessitous families
  • necessitous children
  • necessitous households
  • the necessitous poor
同義詞
  • destitute

    stronger; implies complete lack of money and shelter

  • impoverished

    more common modern equivalent; broader in scope

  • indigent

    equally formal but used more in legal or official contexts

  • penniless

    more informal and concrete; literally 'without a penny'

反義詞

用法筆記

Formal and now somewhat old-fashioned. Typically describes people, families, or groups — not situations or abstract things. The everyday equivalent is 'poor' or 'in need.'

常見錯誤

The company is necessitous after the losses.
The company is impoverished after the losses.
'necessitous' in this sense applies to people, not to organisations or abstract entities.

2. so urgent that it must be dealt with straight away; demanding immediate action

2.形容詞C2
釋義

迫切的

情況緊急，必須立刻處理

so urgent that it must be dealt with straight away; demanding immediate action

例句

Eli called an emergency meeting to address the necessitous repairs on the bridge.

Eli 召開緊急會議，處理橋樑上迫切的修繕問題。

attributive: necessitous + [noun naming a problem]

Sofia received a necessitous plea from the village as floodwaters rose overnight.

Sofia 接到村莊傳來的迫切求救，因為洪水一夜之間越漲越高。

常見搭配
  • necessitous situation
  • necessitous need
  • necessitous demand
  • necessitous plea
同義詞
  • pressing

    the common everyday equivalent

  • urgent

    slightly less forceful; a matter can be urgent without being dire

  • exigent

    equally formal and rare; often used in legal contexts

  • desperate

    stronger emotional charge; implies fear or extreme need

反義詞

用法筆記

Now rare in everyday English. Describes situations, demands, or needs rather than people. Distinguish from sense 1: a necessitous person lacks money; a necessitous situation demands action.

常見錯誤

He is a very necessitous person right now.' (when meaning he urgently needs help).
His situation is necessitous.
this sense of 'necessitous' describes the situation, not the person.

3. required by the very nature of things; something that cannot be done without

3.形容詞C2
釋義

必要的

事物本質上不可或缺

required by the very nature of things; something that cannot be done without

例句

Ayesha explained that clean water was a necessitous condition for the survival of every patient there.

Ayesha 解釋說，乾淨的水是那裡每一位病人存活的必要條件。

Felipe considered honesty a necessitous part of any working relationship in the team.

Felipe 認為誠實是團隊中任何工作關係的必要組成部分。

常見搭配
  • necessitous element
  • necessitous condition
  • necessitous part
同義詞
  • necessary

    the universal modern equivalent; no connotation of formality

  • essential

    stresses that something is part of the core nature of a thing

  • indispensable

    stronger; impossible to manage without

  • requisite

    equally formal; often used for conditions or qualifications

反義詞

用法筆記

Now the rarest of the three senses; 'necessary' has almost entirely replaced it. In modern usage, this sense appears only in the attributive position (necessitous + noun); predicative constructions ('was necessitous to') are archaic. Most often found in older philosophical or legal writing. Distinguish from sense 2: sense 3 describes logical requirement; sense 2 describes time pressure.

常見錯誤

It is necessitous that you come.
It is necessary that you come.
'necessitous' in modern usage is rarely used with a that-clause; 'necessary' is the natural choice.

同根字