neighbor

American  

[ney-ber] / ˈneɪ bər /

especially British, neighbour

noun

1. a person who lives near another.

   My next door neighbor has an orange cat.

2. a person or thing that is near another.

3. one's fellow human being.

   You must be generous toward your less fortunate neighbors.

4. a person who shows kindliness or helpfulness toward others.

   She's always a neighbor to people in distress.

5. (used as a term of address, especially as a friendly greeting to a stranger).

   Tell me, neighbor, which way to town?

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adjective

1. situated or living near another.

   One of our neighbor nations is in need of aid.

verb (used with object)

1. to live or be situated near to; adjoin; border on.

   Germany neighbors Denmark.

2. to place or bring near.

verb (used without object)

1. to live or be situated nearby.

2. to associate with or as if with one's neighbors; be neighborly or friendly (often followed bywith ).

Usage

Spelling tips for neighbor The word neighbor is hard to spell because it is spelled differently from the way it is pronounced [ ney-ber ]. To make it even more confusing, neighbor is the American English spelling of the word. In British English, it is spelled with a u: neighbour. How to spell neighbor: The easiest way to remember how to spell neighbor is with the classic mnemonic device: I before E, except after C, except when it's EIGH [ ey ], as in neighbor or weigh.

Other Word Forms

• neighborless
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of neighbor

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English neahgebūr, nēahbūr ( nēah nigh + (ge)būr “farmer”; see Boer, boor); akin to Dutch nabuur, German Nachbar, Old Norse nābūi

Explanation

A neighbor is a nearby person or thing. Be kind to your neighbor, for you never know when you will need to borrow sugar, a shovel, or the spare key to your house. The noun neighbor, spelled neahgebur in Old English, translates to “near” “dweller” when broken down into its individual parts. It makes sense, then, that neighbor refers to a nearby person, place, or thing. “It’s a recession when your neighbor loses his job; it’s a depression when you lose yours,” quipped Harry S. Truman, the 33rd American president.

Example Sentences

Neighbor Gill Doyle, a retired software engineer, said school leaders didn’t take his concerns seriously and some struck him as “New Age people who think of themselves as superior individuals.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026

As the nominations were announced, she woke up to celebratory shouting by her husband, a producer on The Perfect Neighbor, on the phone with her best friend who co-directed The Devil is Busy.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

"Sorry, Honey" nabbed best screenplay and "The Perfect Neighbor" scored best documentary.

From Barron's • Feb. 16, 2026

“We sold the property for $650,000 over asking, attracting buyers from five states, the Neighbor Islands, and three European countries. It’s a clear reflection of the strong demand for unique Hawaii properties,” he explained.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 15, 2025

Neighbor had whispered to neighbor that a hundred-foot wall of water could come crashing down the river.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone

Related Words

• acquaintance
• friend