near

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Contents

English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle English nere, ner, from Old English nēar (“nearer”, comparative of nēah, "nigh"), influenced by Old Norse nǣr (“near”), both originating from Proto-Germanic *nēhwiz (“nearer”), comparative of the adverb *nēhw (“near”). Cognate with Old Frisian niār (“nearer”), Old High German nāhōr (“nearer”).

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

near (plural nears)

  1. The left side of a horse or of a team of horses pulling a carriage etc.

Synonyms[edit]

Antonyms[edit]

See also[edit]

Adjective[edit]

near (comparative nearer, superlative nearest)

  1. Physically close.
  2. (of an event) Approaching.
    The end is near.
  3. Approximate, almost.
    The two words are near synonyms.

Antonyms[edit]

The terms below need to be checked and allocated to the definitions (senses) of the headword above. Each term should appear in the sense for which it is appropriate. Use the template {{sense|"gloss"}}, substituting a short version of the definition for "gloss".

Derived terms[edit]

Terms derived from near (adjective)

Translations[edit]

physically close
of an event, approaching
almost

Adverb[edit]

near (comparative nearer, superlative nearest)

  1. Having a small intervening distance with regard to something.
    I'm near sighted.
  2. (colloquial) nearly
    • 1666 Samuel Pepys Diary and Correspondence (1867)
      ...he hears for certain that the Queen-Mother is about and hath near finished a peace with France....
    • 1825 David Hume, Tobias George Smollett The History of England p. 263
      Sir John Friend had very near completed a regiment of horse.
    • 2003 Owen Parry Honor's Kingdom p. 365
      Thinking about those pounds and pence, I near forgot my wound.
    • 2004 Jimmy Buffett A Salty Piece of Land p. 315, p. 35
      "I damn near forgot." He pulled an envelope from his jacket.
    • 2006 Juliet Marillier The Dark Mirror p. 377
      The fire was almost dead, the chamber near dark.

Derived terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

having a small intervening distance with regard to something
nearly — see nearly

Preposition[edit]

near

  1. close to, in close proximity to.
    • 1820 Mary Shelley, Maurice, or The Fisher's Cot:
      He entered the inn, and asking for dinner, unbuckled his wallet, and sat down to rest himself near the door.
    • 1843 Edgar Allan Poe, The Gold-Bug:
      Fastening one end of this at that point of the trunk of the tree which was nearest the peg, he unrolled it till it reached the peg and thence further unrolled it, in the direction already established by the two points of the tree and the peg, for the distance of fifty feet ...
    • 1897 H. G. Wells, The Star:
      The star grew--it grew with a terrible steadiness hour after hour, a little larger each hour, a little nearer the midnight zenith, and brighter and brighter, until it had turned night into a second day.
    • 1927 H.P. Lovecraft, The Colour Out of Space:
      It shied, balked, and whinnied, and in the end he could do nothing but drive it into the yard while the men used their own strength to get the heavy wagon near enough the hayloft for convenient pitching.
  2. close to in time.
    The voyage was near completion.
Usage notes[edit]

Joan Maling (1983) shows that near is best analysed as an adjective with which the use of to is optional, rather than a preposition. It has the comparative and the superlative, and it can be followed by enough.

Antonyms[edit]

Translations[edit]

in close proximity to
close to in time

Verb[edit]

near (third-person singular simple present nears, present participle nearing, simple past and past participle neared)

  1. To come closer to; to approach.
    The ship nears the land.

Translations[edit]

come closer to

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Statistics[edit]

Anagrams[edit]

Latin[edit]

Verb[edit]

near

  1. first-person singular present passive subjunctive of neō

Latvian[edit]

Verb[edit]

near

  1. 2nd person singular present indicative form of neart
  2. 3rd person singular present indicative form of neart
  3. 3rd person plural present indicative form of neart
  4. 2nd person singular imperative form of neart
  5. (with the particle lai) 3rd person singular imperative form of neart
  6. (with the particle lai) 3rd person plural imperative form of neart
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