nigh
Americanadverb
-
near in space, time, or relation.
The time draws nigh.
-
nearly; almost; (often followed by on oronto ).
nigh onto twenty years.
adjective
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near; approaching.
Evening is nigh.
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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.
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
The whispering grove a holy temple is To him, where God draws nigher to his soul; Each verdant sod a shrine, Whereby he kneels to heaven.
From A Tale of the Kloster A Romance of the German Mystics at the Cocalico by Jabez, Brother
"I thought I was nigher my journey's end than that, marm," said he.
From When Ghost Meets Ghost by De Morgan, William Frend
The sea was smooth, the weather clear; When they approached nigher, 75 King Ida's castle they well knew, And the banks of Bambroughshire.
From English and Scottish Ballads, Volume I (of 8) by Various
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.
