nigh
Americanadverb
-
near in space, time, or relation.
The time draws nigh.
-
nearly; almost; (often followed by on oronto ).
nigh onto twenty years.
adjective
-
near; approaching.
Evening is nigh.
-
short or direct.
to take the nighest route.
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(of an animal or vehicle) being on the left side.
to be astride the nigh horse.
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Archaic. parsimonious; stingy.
preposition
verb (used with or without object)
adjective
Other Word Forms
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.
Vocabulary lists containing nigh
Close Encounters: Synonyms for "Near"
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Much Ado About Nothing
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The Picture of Dorian Gray
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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.
Most investors fret the end is nigh, and they often panic out of positions, as witnessed during recent weakness.
From Barron's • Feb. 11, 2026
Careful as we may be to steer around most of these pits, it’s nigh impossible to avoid all of them.
From Salon • Jan. 21, 2026
For a huge multi-national like Cargill, practising a zero-tolerance approach to corruption and bribes, this made getting most things done, nigh on impossible.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 8, 2026
Maybe the time is nigh to reimagine what is possible and what is impossible in Scottish football.
From BBC • Oct. 26, 2025
‘No one comes nigh Bree now from Outside,’ he said.
From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien
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.
