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

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

Now that the Champions League loot may be nigh we will get to see the scale of Celtic's ambition.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

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

From Slate ● Aug. 7, 2026

But you comfort me, Gimli, and I am glad to have you standing nigh with your stout legs and your hard axe.

From "The Two Towers" 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

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

The tone was angry and imperious on both sides, and, in intense eagerness, O'Shea drew nigher and nigher.

From One Of Them by Charles James Lever

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

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

His crescent light, the first and nighest God, 80 Shall ne'er grow dim.

From Vondel's Lucifer by Joost van den Vondel

I can't tell what's the thought comes nighest to ye when we look at him.

From Cape Cod Folks by Sarah P. McLean Greene

That one nighest in is the little man-o’-war, I suppose, and yon’s the big one.

From Witness to the Deed by George Manville Fenn

Work for the good that is nighest; Dream not of greatness afar: That glory is ever the highest Which shines upon men as they are.

From Architects of Fate or, Steps to Success and Power by Orison Swett Marden

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