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

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

Pancaking is when a female eagle lies down flat in the bowl of the nest to test and shape it — and can signal eggs are nigh.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 25, 2026

When Max looked like her end was nigh, hearing Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush tethered her to reality, keeping her alive.

From BBC ● Dec. 23, 2025

I drew nigh and planted the kitten on the table beside her.

From "A Long Way from Chicago" by Richard Peck

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

From One Of Them by Lever, Charles James

All that, sir, all that; nigher thirty, I should say.

From Through Russian Snows A Story of Napoleon's Retreat from Moscow by Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)

Gliding over this flat surface on one’s snow-shoes almost reaches the ideal; land and home are nigher, and as one goes along one’s thoughts fly southward to everything that is beautiful.

From Farthest North Being the Record of a Voyage of Exploration of the Ship 'Fram' 1893-1896 by Nansen, Fridtjof

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

From Early Theories of Translation by Amos, Flora Ross

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

From Cape Cod Folks by Greene, Sarah P. McLean

Much the nighest, sir; but we don’t want to be soaked.

From Sappers and Miners The Flood beneath the Sea by Hurst, Hal

If he could not accomplish the best, he contented himself with the nighest approach to it.

From Homes of American Statesmen With Anecdotical, Personal, and Descriptive Sketches by Various

King Harald’s son Magnus steered the ship which lay lowest in the river-mouth and nighest out to the lake.

From The Sagas of Olaf Tryggvason and of Harald The Tyrant (Harald Haardraade) by Hearn, Ethel Harriet