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。

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。

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。

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.