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The cure could find its way in dire-needing USK? (USK is a fictional country)

I am looking for a synonym to the word (dire-needing). I am skeptical about it being acceptable to say the least.

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  • Find its way 'in' USK, or 'to' USK? Is the cure potentially becoming available (to) or potentially finding success (in) in USK?
    – Coty Johnathan Saxman
    Commented Dec 19, 2014 at 2:49
  • Do you mean that you want a synonym for the equivalent of 'desperate', or perhaps 'desperately needy'?
    – Erik Kowal
    Commented Dec 19, 2014 at 3:06
  • could find its way to USK. Thanks @CotyJohnathanSaxman
    – learner
    Commented Dec 19, 2014 at 3:11

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The cure could find its way to USK, where it is urgently needed.

Your original construction, 'dire-needing,' appears to be mistaken. 'Direly-needing' or 'direly-needy' would be appropriate alternatives. 'Needing' is a present-participle verb, so it takes an adverb as a modifier. The adjective 'dire' can be construed as an adverb in the form 'direly.'

Other possible replacements for dire/direly are urgently, alarmingly, critically, desperately, etc. Plugging any of those words into a thesaurus will yield more results.

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If a single word is sought, I would proffer needy.

Alternatives would include stronger words for "poor", such as indigent, destitute and penurious. I think the first two of these actually capture the essence nicely, and include a connotation of being in dire need, whereas the third (to me) just describes a state of extreme poverty.

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  • The context of the OP's query sentence (plus his/her subsequent clarification) suggests a medical emergency, not an economic one. However, 'needy' has a broad enough range of connotations to enable it to cover both contingencies.
    – Erik Kowal
    Commented Dec 19, 2014 at 4:04
  • @ErikKowal Often, the biggest obstacle to getting adequate medical help during a health-crisis is a lack of financial resources and economic development in the afflicted region. Poverty breeds disease, worsens its impact, and delays its eradication. But your point is well-taken. In any case, various alternatives were offered for the OP to choose from.
    – Deepak
    Commented Dec 19, 2014 at 4:24

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