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

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

How to use near in a sentence

While the supplier agreement is nowhere near the scale of Mobileye’s core computer vision business, it is an important collaboration that extends beyond a few pilot programs.
Mobileye taps Luminar to supply lidar for its robotaxi fleet|Kirsten Korosec|November 20, 2020|TechCrunch
So, say you live in New York and were near someone from New Jersey who gets a positive diagnosis.
A covid-fighting tool is buried in your phone. Turn it on.|Geoffrey Fowler|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
The near-miss is a microcosm of his career since going undrafted — headed where he wants to go but not there yet.
For undrafted NFL rookies, the odds were even longer this year. Isaiah Wright made it anyway.|Sam Fortier|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
Milwaukee will send Eric Bledsoe, George Hill, three first-round picks and two pick swaps to New Orleans in the deal, which will help keep Antetokounmpo and company near the top of the East’s projected standings.
NBA free agency tracker (plus trades): Warriors acquire Kelly Oubre; 76ers trade Al Horford to Thunder|Ben Golliver|November 20, 2020|Washington Post

Highs near and above 50 are still below normal for the date, but we’re moving on up in the temperature department.
PM Update: Today had a frozen start, but warmer temperatures are on the way|Ian Livingston|November 19, 2020|Washington Post
Congress is nearing a vote on the Keystone XL pipeline, and lawmakers made their cases for—and against—it Sunday.
Fact-Checking the Sunday Shows: Jan. 4|PunditFact.com|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
He hoped also to be a chaplain through his local church, and he was nearing the end of his formal training.
In The Shadow of Murdered Cops|Michael Daly|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Liu was nearing the 20th anniversary of his arrival in America, having landed from China on Christmas Eve, 1994, at the age of 12.
In The Shadow of Murdered Cops|Michael Daly|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It seems to me that he is playing the part of the valiant hero nearing his end.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He was nearing the end of his sentence, but the woman enlisted Joplin to marry them before he was released.
Saying Yes to the Dress—Behind Bars|Caitlin Dickson|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The water suggested the fear that he must be nearing the open sea, and he became supernaturally grave.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
On nearing the spot, Tom stopped a few moments, and bent down to examine a beautiful flower.
Hunting the Lions|R.M. Ballantyne
They were about a mile on their way and the sun was nearing the horizon, when the native officer bade his escort halt.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
He was nearing a village, but saw nothing save a red mist that swam before him like a fog.
Uncanny Tales|Various
Poor Jake grew thin during the few days they spent in Savannah, and he knew he was nearing the end.
The Cromptons|Mary J. Holmes

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