nigh

American  

[nahy] / naɪ /

adverb

1. near in space, time, or relation.

   The time draws nigh.

2. nearly; almost; (often followed by on oronto ).

   nigh onto twenty years.

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adjective

nigher, nighest

1. near; approaching.

   Evening is nigh.

2. short or direct.

   to take the nighest route.

3. (of an animal or vehicle) being on the left side.

   to be astride the nigh horse.

4. Archaic. parsimonious; stingy.

preposition

1. near.

verb (used with or without object)

1. Archaic. to approach.

nigh British  

/ naɪ /

adjective

1. an archaic, poetic, or dialect word for near

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Other Word Forms

• unnigh
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of nigh

before 900; Middle English nigh ( e ), neye, Old English nēah, nēh, cognate with Dutch na, German nahe, Old Norse nā-, Gothic nehw, nehwa; cf. near, next

Explanation

Nigh is an old-fashioned word that can be used as an adjective or adverb to mean near or nearly. Something that is nigh impossible — like knitting a sweater in one night — will be very difficult to accomplish. As an adjective, nigh is an older form of the word "near," both of which are rooted in the Old English word neah. People like to use the word nigh when they talk about the apocalypse: "Repent! The end is nigh." It's most common to use nigh today when you're trying to sound poetic or referencing the archaic or biblical uses of the word.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

nigh nigher nighest

You know the end of summer is nigh when Vail Resorts announces opening dates for its ski resorts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

Chris Sutton: There's no doubt the pressure will be on Maresca from the off, and replacing Rodri is nigh on impossible.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

If you live in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle or any city with a high population of Burning Man devotees, it’s nigh impossible for “The Man Will Burn” to be a prejudice-free viewing experience.

From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026

Or, the end of this Supreme Court term is nigh, at least.

From Slate ● Jun. 29, 2026

There on the wide flats beside the noisy river were marshalled in many companies well nigh five and fifty hundreds of Riders fully armed, and many hundreds of other men with spare horses lightly burdened.

From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien

Or the end of the Anthropocene might be nigher than you think.

From New York Times ● Apr. 25, 2022

“That’s nigher where it is,” said Joe; “she ain’t living.”

From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens

But as the craft now nigher drew, The signal note his swarthy crew.

From Tales of the Wonder Club, Volume II by Alexander Huth

Heed not the starveling crew, who hang Upon the blue Ohio, A craven heart each traitor bears, And dare not venture nigher.

From Songs and Ballads of the Southern People 1861-1865 by Anonymous

I see thee nigh and nigher; And my soul leaps up like sudden fire, My life's in the air To meet thee there, To meet thee coming to me, love!

From Library of the World's Best literature, Ancient and Modern, Vol. 12 by Various

Every one," says Coverdale, "doth his best to be nighest to the mark.

From Early Theories of Translation by Flora Ross Amos

God is the highest, The greatest, the nighest, Gracious is ever, Is changeable never, Of all our treasures the noblest is He.

From Paul Gerhardt's Spiritual Songs Translated by John Kelly by Paul Gerhardt

Then draw lines betwene euery two prickes that be nighest togither, and ther wil appear rightly drawẽ the figure, of fiftene sides, and angles equall.

From The Path-Way to Knowledg Containing the First Principles of Geometrie by Robert Record

Thomas Ellman, of Shoreham, John's cousin, he also approved as a breeder of sheep, but it is John that stood nighest the Earl of Egremont on Young's ladder of approbation.

From Highways and Byways in Sussex by Frederick Landseer Maur Griggs

But the yard remained, and, nighest the seaward edge of it, Exciseman Jones slept in his fearful winding sheet and bided his time.

From At a Winter's Fire by Bernard Edward Joseph Capes