thneed

English

Etymology

Coined in 1972 by Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel in the children's book The Lorax.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈθniːd/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːd

Noun

thneed (plural thneeds)

1. A useless product which is advertised as being needed by everybody, but which in fact no one needs.
   • 2000, David Kumar, Daryl Chubin, Science, Technology, and Society: A Sourcebook on Research and Practice‎, page 221:

     Do You Really, I Mean REALLY, Need a Thneed?

   • 2004, Jonathan Lethem, The Fortress of Solitude‎, page 361:

     I needed orange juice, a toothbrush, a blood transfusion, a Bloody Mary, Abigale Ponders, Leslie Cunningham, a Thneed, someone to watch over me, a miracle every day—anything but a moment of truth between myself and Zelmo Swift.

   • 2012, Shauna Springer, Marriage, for Equals: The Successful Joint (Ad)Ventures of Well-Educated Couples‎, page 12:

     Call now—the remarkable 'thneed' is available only while supplies last...”

   • 2025 October 28, Kasey Gifford (@kaseygifford.bsky.social), Bluesky‎:

     I saw someone call AI a Thneed and I can't stop thinking about it. It's a PERFECT analogy. The Thneed was an all-purpose tool that didn't do anything really useful. It was a fad that did major damage to the environment to make the Onceler a billionare. It left no real lasting impact, only damage.

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