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

• closely
• near

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

May 11, 2024 Golan has become a lightning rod for mass condemnation of Israel’s war on Gaza, which has left nearly 35,000 Palestinians dead, mostly women and children, since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel that killed about 1,200 people. —Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 May 2024

Hailing from North Dakota and of Chippewa Sioux Native American heritage, Lawrence competed as a professional bull rider for over a decade, amassing nearly $900,000 in career earnings. —Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 May 2024

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

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