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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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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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

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

How to use near in a sentence

They put Obama at 4.23, just a little nearer the center than they placed themselves.
Conservatives Are So Conservative They Think the Congressional GOP Are Moderate Squishes|Michael Tomasky|June 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I knew that every time I met him brought him nearer to the accomplishment of his purpose and my fate.
Read ‘The King in Yellow,’ the ‘True Detective’ Reference That’s the Key to the Show|Robert W. Chambers|February 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
How his face gleamed in the darkness, drawing swiftly nearer!
Read ‘The King in Yellow,’ the ‘True Detective’ Reference That’s the Key to the Show|Robert W. Chambers|February 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Old Bagan, which is nearer to the ruins, is now devoid of inhabitants and only hosts a few sleepy old hotels.
Temple Hopping in the Paradise of Bagan, Burma|Nina Strochlic|December 5, 2013|DAILY BEAST

The bullet was fired from a distance of fewer than 20 meters, considerably nearer than the stipulated 50-meter minimum.
Violence in Nabi Saleh|Emily L. Hauser|July 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The croupier pushes the seven hundred and forty pounds of the unlucky player a foot nearer to the bank.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
Tony's stool was nearer to the bass keys of the piano, while the sofa Lettice lay upon had certainly been drawn up towards him.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
To some place much nearer, of course, and equally of course they would return.
Kipling Stories and Poems Every Child Should Know, Book II|Rudyard Kipling
I know I strive after the unattainable, but still every year I get nearer and nearer to the goal.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
If ships sail over the sea as fast as railways run across the land; if Helles is nearer Woolwich than Calais; then he is right.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton

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 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