if need be
11
3.9
- idiom
:
si es necesario
- And so other people not directly involved can judge, if need be, how offensive the comment is.
One must speak of him bluntly, and if need be, with the appropriate contempt.
- One must speak of him bluntly, and if need be, with the appropriate contempt.
- Get your cat to the bed if need be, and let's get back to normal, right?
- It feels so nice and I can escape myself if need be.
- But I'd do it politely, courteously, firmly, robustly if need be.
- And Caesar says I don't want no trouble but I'll kick your ass if need be.
- And he was going to do it through charm or jokes or the volume of his voice or, if need be, conflict.
- Some states have also said they'll fall back on electrocution if need be.
- This watch doesn't have a stopwatch function with it, so I'll rely on Shinfuji here for that if need be.
- I love highlighter, but I wanted something that can be insanely pigmented but also more subtle if need be.
- And and we can bleep them if need be.
- We recognize sounds as we sleep, and they will wake us up from from sleep if need be.
- That is when you get that thing, that special eat inside that comes out and you think, no, we'll go after them because I was willing to go all the way if need be.
Examples
-
I can do some work on my end to flesh it out, if need be.
Blog text (7) -
One must speak of him bluntly, and if need be, with the appropriate contempt.
-
I do, in fact, want the option and ability to do so if need be.
Blog text (6) -
Get your cat to the bed if need be, and let's get back to normal, right?
-
The plane can winch us out if need be.
Fiction book (2000) -
Look around these shops online, view the garments, and if need be, ring them to guide you.
Blog text (4) -
You have a car and can drive to collect groceries if need be.
Blog text (4) -
Add to it at the end if need be; it'll still sort properly even with that edit.
Blog text (5) -
America's willingness to exercise its power alone, if need be, convinced the world last fall to finally confront the Iraqi dictatorship.
Academic text (2003) -
The engineer will revise the design, if need be, to meet the project's requirements.
Synonyms
25
1.5
When it is necessary
17
2.3
Only when needed
If necessary in a difficult or emergency situation
Antonyms
How Necessary
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase literally means 'if there is a need' and can be compositionally derived from 'if' (condition) + 'need' (a necessary thing) + 'be' (to exist). Although slightly formal and elliptical (omitting an explicit subject), the sense maps directly to 'if necessary' and is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will understand it.
Etymology
If need be comes from an old way of saying 'if there is a need.' Imagine keeping extra chairs or tools and only using them if need be, only when you really need them. That's why it means 'if necessary'.