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
Related Words
See almost.
Etymology
Origin of nearly
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.
A recent study reported by USA Today found that the average American spends nearly $500 a year on tips at restaurants and bars.
From Science Daily
For nearly 150 years, paleontologists in this region have relied largely on surface collecting methods, which tend to yield larger fossils visible to the naked eye while tiny specimens remain hidden.
From Science Daily
For the nearly 300-page memoir, the 54-year-old actor broke open her personal journals, which she has kept since she was 13, and in turn, the vault that is her personal history to share her story.
From Los Angeles Times
Given the barriers to preventative care, homeless women die from breast cancer at nearly twice the rate of securely housed women, a 2019 study found.
From Los Angeles Times
The story of how two eagles just doing eagle things became an internet sensation goes back nearly 20 years, when postcard-perfect Big Bear had no year-round eagles.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
