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Synonyms

nearby

American  
[neer-bahy] / ˈnɪərˈbaɪ /

adjective

  1. close at hand; not far off; adjacent; neighboring.

    a nearby village.

adverb

  1. in the neighborhood or vicinity; close by.

    She works nearby.
nearby British  

adjective

  1. not far away; close at hand

"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. close by

"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

Etymology

Origin of nearby

late Middle English word dating back to 1425–75; near, by

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Lines of idling trucks stretch several miles to the nearby U.A.E. port of Khorfakkan, which is picking up shipments that can’t reach Dubai anymore.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

In 2021 the Chicago Bears signed a purchase agreement for land at a former racetrack in nearby Arlington Heights, with the intention of razing the existing facility and building a new stadium.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

The fiction: You can always tell there’s a rattlesnake nearby because you’ll hear their rattle.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

He also pointed to the relative value compared to nearby coastal markets, noting similar waterfront properties elsewhere often come at a significantly higher price per square foot.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

There was a place on a nearby tulip farm, but the farmer had decided he must be paid for the risk he was taking.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

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.