nearly
Americanadverb
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all but; almost.
nearly dead with cold.
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with close approximation.
a nearly perfect likeness.
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with close agreement or resemblance.
a plan nearly like our own.
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with close kinship, interest, or connection; intimately.
nearly associated in business;
two women nearly related.
adverb
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not quite; almost; practically
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nowhere near; not at all
not nearly enough money
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closely
the person most nearly concerned
Synonym Usage
See almost.
Etymology
Origin of nearly
Explanation
When something nearly happens, it comes very close to occurring, but doesn't. Nearly is a useful adverb for describing things that are almost accomplished. If you and your brother nearly win the three-legged race, you lose by a matter of seconds. And, if you nearly drop your dog's leash at a busy intersection, your heart might pound from the closeness of your best pal's brush with danger. An interesting detail about nearly is that it nearly ended up with a different meaning: until the late 1600s, in fact, it meant "carefully."
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.
Many focus on themes like forbidden love, family feuds and secret billionaires, and nearly every instalment ends on a dramatic cliffhanger.
From BBC ● Nov. 8, 2026
That final tally will include nearly 400,000 so-called "special votes" -- among them around 100,000 votes cast overseas and by people within New Zealand but outside the local electorate in which they live.
From Barron's ● Nov. 8, 2026
There was a matcha truck stationed outside Gamma Phi Beta, and nearly every other house had some pop-up or another on their front lawn.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 8, 2026
The wealthiest 10% of Americans hold nearly 90% of stocks.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 7, 2026
“You can, but that’s beside the point. You’re telling me he never said sorry for nearly getting her killed?”
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
