nearly

adverb

near·​ly ˈnir-lē 

1

: in a close manner or relationship

nearly related

2

a

: almost but not quite

nearly identical

nearly a year later

b

: to the least extent

not nearly as good as we expected

Synonyms of nearly

• closely

Examples of nearly in a Sentence

I see her nearly every day.

We lived there for nearly two years.

Nearly all of us got sick that weekend.

Recent Examples on the Web

Puccinelli said all but 318 districts (of nearly 2,000 across the county) are receiving accurate distribution reports through June 30. — A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026

Moline says 38 cases of mesothelioma have been diagnosed among the nearly 155,000 people enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Program to date, an incidence that already appears to be about three times as high as in the general population. — Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2026

Eventually, the condition began to dictate nearly every aspect of her life. — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2026

That evening, during the prime-time news on Channel 12, a military reporter named Nir Dvori relayed the story nearly word for word. — Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1561, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing nearly

• nearly gave someone a heart attack
• not nearly
• pretty near/nearly

Rhymes for nearly

• clearly
• dearly
• merely
• queerly
• yearly
• austerely
• severely
• sincerely
• cavalierly

Kids Definition

nearly

adverb

near·​ly ˈni(ə)r-lē 

1

: in a close manner or relationship

nearly related

2

: almost but not quite

nearly the same

nearly missed the train

3

: to the least extent

not nearly enough