penury vs need

penury and need both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
penury	Yes	No	No	No
need	Yes	No	Yes	No

As nouns, penury and need are synonyms defined as:

Other synonyms of penury include indigence, pauperism, pauperization.

penury (noun)	need (noun)
a state of extreme poverty or destitution	the psychological feature that arouses an organism to action toward a desired goal; the reason for the action; that which gives purpose and direction to behavior
	anything that is necessary but lacking
	a condition requiring relief
	a state of extreme poverty or destitution

penury (verb)	need (verb)
	have need of
	have or feel a need for
	require as useful, just, or proper