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View synonyms for

near

[neer]

adverb

nearer, nearest 
  1. close; to a point or place not far away.

    Come near so I won't have to shout.

    Antonyms:
  2. at, within, or to a short distance.

    Antonyms:
  3. close in time.

    The New Year draws near.

  4. close in relation; closely with respect to connection, similarity, intimacy, etc. (often used in combination).

    a near-standing position.

  5. all but; almost; nearly.

    a period of near 30 years.

  6. Nautical.close to the wind.

  7. Archaic.in a thrifty or stingy manner.



adjective

nearer, nearest 
  1. being close by; not distant.

    the near fields.

    Antonyms:
  2. being the lesser in distance.

    the near side.

    Antonyms:
  3. short or direct.

    the near road.

    Antonyms:
  4. close in time.

    the near future.

    Synonyms: ,
    Antonyms:
  5. closely related or connected.

    our nearest relatives.

  6. close to an original.

    a near translation.

  7. closely affecting one's interests or feelings.

    a matter of near consequence to one.

  8. intimate or familiar.

    a near friend.

  9. narrow or close.

    a near escape.

  10. thrifty or stingy.

    near with one's pocketbook.

    Synonyms: ,
    Antonyms:
  11. (of two draft animals hitched together) being on the driver's left (as opposed tooff ).

    The near horse is going lame.

    Antonyms:

preposition

  1. at, to, or within a short distance, or no great distance, from or of.

    regions near the equator.

  2. close to in time.

    near the beginning of the year.

  3. close to a condition or state.

    He is near death.

verb (used with or without object)

  1. to come or draw near; approach.

    The boat neared the dock. Storm clouds neared.

near

1

/ ɪə /

preposition

  1. at or to a place or time not far away from; close to

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adverb

  1. at or to a place or time not far away; close by

  2. not far from; near

  3. short for nearly

    I was damn near killed

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. at or in a place not far away

  2. (postpositive) not far away in time; imminent

    departure time was near

  3. (prenominal) only just successful or only just failing

    a near escape

  4. informal(postpositive) miserly, mean

  5. (prenominal) closely connected or intimate

    a near relation

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to come or draw close (to)

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. Also called: nearside.

    1. the left side of a horse, team of animals, vehicle, etc

    2. ( as modifier )

      the near foreleg

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

near-

2

combining form

  1. nearly; almost

    a near-perfect landing

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • nearness noun
  • overnear adjective
  • overnearness noun
  • ˈԱ𲹰Ա noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of near1

First recorded before 900; Middle English nere, Old English ŧ, comparative of ŧ nigh
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Word History and Origins

Origin of near1

Old English ŧ (adv), comparative of ŧ close, nigh ; related to Old Frisian Ծ, Old Norse ǣ, Old High German ō
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. near at hand,

    1. in the immediate vicinity.

      There is a shopping area near at hand.

    2. in the near future; soon.

      The departure is near at hand.

In addition to the idioms beginning with near, also see far and near; in the near future; not anything like (anywhere near).
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

"We are not anywhere near that stage at the moment," the chancellor said.

From

Three days later, it sent out a bulletin for a gray-haired Jane Doe picked up near Echo Park Lake.

From

They chanted slogans near the Port Headquarters building amid signs and swirling American and Mexican flags.

From

BBC Verify analysis of the latest images from Maxar found visible damage to at least two structures at Isfahan and an apparent scorch mark near the periphery of the site.

From

The American journalist vanished near the Syrian capital of Damascus in August 2012, just days after his 31st birthday.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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