near

American  

[neer] / nɪər /

adverb

nearer, nearest

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

   Come near so I won't have to shout.

   Antonyms:

   far

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

   Antonyms:

   far

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.

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adjective

nearer, nearest

1. being close by; not distant.

   the near fields.

   Antonyms:

   far

2. being the lesser in distance.

   the near side.

   Antonyms:

   far

3. short or direct.

   the near road.

   Antonyms:

   far

4. close in time.

   the near future.

   Synonyms:

   impending, imminent

   Antonyms:

   far

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:

    miserly, tight

    Antonyms:

    generous

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

    The near horse is going lame.

    Antonyms:

    far

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.

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.

near ¹ British  

/ nɪə /

preposition

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

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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

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

verb

1. to come or draw close (to)

noun

1. Also called: nearside. 

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

   2. ( as modifier )

      the near foreleg

near- ² British  

combining form

1. nearly; almost

   a near-perfect landing

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near More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing near

• far and near
• in the near future
• not anything like (anywhere near)

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Other Word Forms

• nearness noun
• overnear adjective
• overnearness noun

Etymology

Origin of near

First recorded before 900; Middle English nere, Old English nēar, comparative of nēah nigh

Example Sentences

Like Riley himself, his statue looked darn near perfect.

From Los Angeles Times

Westside on the other hand has doubled its store count, with revenue growing three-fold - but the pace of growth is nowhere near comparable.

From BBC

They would have been told by the head, Miss Jennings, not to go near the railway line, to be careful of the river and not to go near the colliery.

From BBC

Mr. Yeaw, an assistant secretary at State, added details: “The probable explosion occurred right near the Lop Nur nuclear test site” in China.

From The Wall Street Journal

There was even an episode of “Law & Order: Organized Crime” about a murder near a Loudoun County data center.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• adjacent
• adjoining
• immediate
• nearby
• neighboring
• warm