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
Related Words
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.
Nearly everyone in England, Wales and Scotland will benefit from this cut, although the amounts will vary between households.
From BBC • May 27, 2026
Nearly every animal species, including humans, has blood cells.
From Science Daily • May 27, 2026
Nearly $32.3 million had been donated to opposing his candidacy as of Monday, according to the California Target Book, a nonpartisan political almanac, which tracks independent expenditure committees.
From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 2026
Nearly a year after the rebrand, internal documents showed that Meta’s flagship metaverse product, a virtual-reality app for consumers called Horizon Worlds, suffered from glitches and struggled to add and retain users.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026
Nearly every inch of it was covered in tiny inscribed names.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
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.
