near

[ neer ]

/ nɪər /

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See synonyms for: near / neared / nearer / nearest on Thesaurus.com

adverb, near·er, near·est.

close; to a point or place not far away: Come near so I won't have to shout.

at, within, or to a short distance.

close in time: The New Year draws near.

close in relation; closely with respect to connection, similarity, intimacy, etc. (often used in combination): a near-standing position.

all but; almost; nearly: a period of near 30 years.

Nautical. close to the wind.

Archaic. in a thrifty or stingy manner.

adjective, near·er, near·est.

being close by; not distant: the near fields.

being the lesser in distance: the near side.

short or direct: the near road.

close in time: the near future.

closely related or connected: our nearest relatives.

close to an original: a near translation.

closely affecting one's interests or feelings: a matter of near consequence to one.

intimate or familiar: a near friend.

narrow or close: a near escape.

thrifty or stingy: near with one's pocketbook.

(of two draft animals hitched together) being on the driver's left (as opposed to off): The near horse is going lame.

preposition

at, to, or within a short distance, or no great distance, from or of: regions near the equator.

close to in time: near the beginning of the year.

close to a condition or state: He is near death.

verb (used with or without object)

to come or draw near; approach: The boat neared the dock. Storm clouds neared.

OTHER WORDS FOR near

11 imminent, impending, approaching.

17 tight, miserly.

See synonyms for near on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR near

1, 2, 8-11, 18 far.

17 generous.

See antonyms for near on Thesaurus.com

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Idioms about near

near at hand,

in the immediate vicinity: There is a shopping area near at hand.
in the near future; soon: The departure is near at hand.

Origin of near

before 900; Middle English nere,Old English nēar, comparative of nēahnigh

OTHER WORDS FROM near

nearness, nouno·ver·near, adjective, adverbo·ver·near·ness, noun

Words nearby near

neaped, Neapolitan, Neapolitan ice cream, Neapolitan sixth, neap tide, near, near at hand, near beer, nearby, Nearctic, near-death experience

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use near in a sentence

Then he’ll hop the state border into western Pennsylvania for a campaign rally near Pittsburgh.
Election live updates: Trump returns to Wisconsin; Biden to face live audience at town hall|Colby Itkowitz, Felicia Sonmez, John Wagner|September 17, 2020|Washington Post
It already removes them from recommendations, restricts them from search, and in the near future, it says it will reduce their content in News Feed.
Facebook tries to clean up Groups with new policies|Sarah Perez|September 17, 2020|TechCrunch
Cutler envisions putting underwater datacenters near offshore wind farms to power them sustainably.
Microsoft Had a Crazy Idea to Put Servers Under Water—and It Totally Worked|Vanessa Bates Ramirez|September 17, 2020|Singularity Hub
Authorities three days later arrested several people during an unsanctioned LGBTQ rights march that took place near the Cuban Capitol in Havana.
Cuban authorities threaten to arrest LGBTQ activist, journalist|Michael K. Lavers|September 17, 2020|Washington Blade

You can also head to Finder, Applications, and Utilities—it should be at or near the top of the list.
Make online classes easier with these laptop shortcuts|Sandra Gutierrez G.|September 15, 2020|Popular-Science
Certainly, she seems to command near-total devotion among her clients.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Occasionally a pamphlet for a salsa class might be tossed on a doorstop or stuck on a pole near a bus stop.
Iran’s Becoming a Footloose Nation as Dance Lessons Spread|IranWire|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
While the world fixated on Ukraine and Syria, a near-genocide ripped through central Africa, to little international fanfare.
The Year’s Most Forgotten Humanitarian Crisis|Nina Strochlic|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
A 2008 Pakistani raid near Turbat turned up Abdolhamid Rigi, the brother of Abdelmalek Rigi.
The Dangerous Drug-Funded Secret War Between Iran and Pakistan|Umar Farooq|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After the defeat of ISIS in Sinjar, most other locals have been left wondering who might rule the city in the near future.
Has the Kurdish Victory at Sinjar Turned the Tide of ISIS War?|Niqash|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The country is well inhabited, for it contains fifty-one cities, near a hundred walled towns, and a great number of villages.
Gulliver's Travels|Jonathan Swift
The two women had no intention of bathing; they had just strolled down to the beach for a walk and to be alone and near the water.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
There was a lathe near the spot where David Arden stood, and shavings and splinters under his feet.
Checkmate|Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
Madame Ratignolle laid her hand over that of Mrs. Pontellier, which was near her.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
Edmund de la Pole, earl of Suffolk, on account of his near relationship to the house of York, beheaded.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell

British Dictionary definitions for near (1 of 2)

near

/ (nɪə) /

preposition

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

adverb

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

near to not far from; near

short for nearly I was damn near killed

adjective

at or in a place not far away

(postpositive) not far away in time; imminentdeparture time was near

(prenominal) only just successful or only just failinga near escape

(postpositive) informal miserly, mean

(prenominal) closely connected or intimatea near relation

verb

to come or draw close (to)

noun

Also called: nearside

the left side of a horse, team of animals, vehicle, etc
(as modifier)the near foreleg

Derived forms of near

nearness, noun

Word Origin for near

Old English nēar (adv), comparative of nēah close, nigh; related to Old Frisian niār, Old Norse nǣr, Old High German nāhōr

British Dictionary definitions for near (2 of 2)

near-

combining form

nearly; almosta 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

Other Idioms and Phrases with near

near

In addition to the idioms beginning with near

near at hand
near miss
near thing
near to one's heart

also see:

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

near

OTHER WORDS FOR near

OPPOSITES FOR near

Idioms about near

Origin of near

OTHER WORDS FROM near

Words nearby near

Words related to near

How to use near in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for near (1 of 2)

Derived forms of near

Word Origin for near

British Dictionary definitions for near (2 of 2)

Other Idioms and Phrases with near