'亟需' (jí xū) is an adverb-verb compound meaning 'urgently need' or 'desperately require.' The first character 亟 (jí) means 'urgent' or 'immediate,' conveying urgency and intensity; the second character 需 (xū) means 'to need' or 'requirement.' Together, they form a formal, emphatic expression indicating something is critically necessary right now—not just important, but time-sensitive and pressing. It’s commonly used in official announcements, news reports, medical contexts, policy documents, and academic writing.

This word carries a strong tone of seriousness and gravity. Unlike the more neutral '需要' (xūyào), '亟需' implies immediate action is essential to prevent negative consequences. It typically modifies verbs (e.g., 亟需解决, 亟需治疗) and often appears at the beginning or middle of a sentence. While grammatically it functions as a verb phrase, it behaves syntactically like a predicative adverbial—emphasizing how urgently the action must occur.