nearly
Americanadverb
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all but; almost.
nearly dead with cold.
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with close approximation.
a nearly perfect likeness.
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with close agreement or resemblance.
a plan nearly like our own.
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with close kinship, interest, or connection; intimately.
nearly associated in business;
two women nearly related.
adverb
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not quite; almost; practically
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nowhere near; not at all
not nearly enough money
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closely
the person most nearly concerned
Synonym Usage
See almost.
Etymology
Origin of nearly
Explanation
When something nearly happens, it comes very close to occurring, but doesn't. Nearly is a useful adverb for describing things that are almost accomplished. If you and your brother nearly win the three-legged race, you lose by a matter of seconds. And, if you nearly drop your dog's leash at a busy intersection, your heart might pound from the closeness of your best pal's brush with danger. An interesting detail about nearly is that it nearly ended up with a different meaning: until the late 1600s, in fact, it meant "carefully."
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.
Microsoft recently reported $627 billion in remaining commercial performance obligations, nearly double the figure in the prior year, with an average contract duration of roughly 2.5 years.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
People across Scotland will get the best view of a solar eclipse in nearly three decades on Wednesday.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
New valuation of fast-growing live shopping app Whatnot, nearly double its $11.5 billion valuation in October.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
This absence distinguishes Silescelida acristata from nearly all of its close relatives.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026
They take another series of photographs in the retiring room—me sitting at the piano, on the settee—and by the time those are finished I’ve nearly sweated through my pretend uniform.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
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.
