needs must
Obligation compels action
Needs must is a British expression acknowledging that circumstances sometimes force action regardless of preference: Needs must—I'll take the night shift if no one else can.
The full form is "needs must when the devil drives," meaning necessity compels even unpleasant choices.
The phrase sounds old-fashioned but remains current in British English.
- compulsoryRequired, not optional
- requiredNeeded by rule
- mandatoryRequired by rule
- sink or swimSucceed alone or fail
- necessityIndispensable requirement
bare necessities · essential · come what may · inevitability · flexibility · resourcefulness · make do · resilience · roll with the punches · grin and bear it · tough it out · demand · bite the bullet · adaptation · improvisation · resignation · obligation · no choice but
needs mustby choice
of one's own free will · voluntarily · of one's own accord · elective · optional
needs mustin a perfect world
when pigs fly · pie in the sky · spoilt for choice · embarrassment of riches · best-case scenario
needs mustspoiled for choice
Having too many options
at liberty · free to choose · carte blanche · free rein · anything goes
need, needs, needed, needing, needy, needful, needless, needlessly, must