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

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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

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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

But when the bulls start reporting that massive stock gambling by the retail public, using levered ETFs, are a reason to be bullish, you have to start wondering if the end is nigh.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 27, 2026

His guests are convinced that moment is nigh.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

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

After another long stretch of unrelenting news, the weekend is finally nigh.

From Slate ● Aug. 7, 2026

Already the closing hour was drawing nigh, and the red sun had gone behind Mindolluin.

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

Through all hopes that keep us brave, Further off or nigher, Love me for the house and grave,— And for something higher.

From Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 60, No. 372, October 1846 by Various

That there woman's got the devil in her bigger'n a sheep, and she come nigher makin' putty o' your Uncle Ephraim than I ever dreamed of before.

From Si Klegg, Book 3 (of 6) Si And Shorty Meet Mr. Rosenbaum, The Spy, Who Relates His Adventures by John McElroy

"I thought I was nigher my journey's end than that, marm," said he.

From When Ghost Meets Ghost by William Frend De Morgan

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

From Early Theories of Translation by Flora Ross Amos

There's another at the end nighest Guernsey, but it's not easy.

From A Maid of the Silver Sea by John Oxenham

But your land lies nighest to my farm, and it's worth more to me than anybody else.

From Cobwebs and Cables by Hesba Stretton

Then, after a while, she sent for Sir Bors de Ganis, who was the nighest of kin to Sir Launcelot of all those then at court.

From The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions by Howard Pyle

A girl upon the nighest stone,   Half doubtful of the deed, was standing, So far the shallow flood had flown   Beyond the 'customed leap of landing.

From Poems by Jean Ingelow, In Two Volumes, Volume I. by Jean Ingelow

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