near

1 of 4

adverb

ˈnir 

1

: at, within, or to a short distance or time

sunset was drawing near

2

: almost, nearly

was near dead

3

: in a close or intimate manner : closely

near related

4

archaic : in a frugal manner

near

2 of 4

preposition

: close to

beaches near the city

seemed to be near death

near

3 of 4

adjective

1

a

: not far distant in time, place, or degree

in the near future

b

: almost happening : narrowly missed or avoided

a near win in the primary

a near midair collision

c

: nearly not happening

a near escape

2

: closely related or intimately associated

her nearest and dearest friend

3

a

: being the closer of two

the near side

b

: being the left-hand one of a pair

the near wheel of a cart

4

: direct, short

the nearest road

5

: stingy, closefisted

6

a

: closely resembling the standard or typical

a near desert

b

: approximating the genuine

near silk

nearness noun

near

4 of 4

verb

neared; nearing; nears

: approach

Synonyms of near

Adverb

• close
• in
• nearby

Preposition

• around
• beside
• at

Adjective

• closer

Verb

• close
• come
• approach

Examples of near in a Sentence

Adverb

The plant was near dead when I got it.

as the campers grew cold, so they gravitated nearer to the campfire

Preposition

I left the box near the door.

The cat won't go near fire.

There are several beaches near here.

She came home near midnight.

We feared he was near death.

Adjective

The nearest grocery store is three blocks away.

The near side headlight is out.

Verb

As the date of the performance neared, we grew more and more anxious.

He always cheers up when baseball season nears.

The airplane began to descend as it neared the island.

He must be nearing 80 years of age.

The negotiators were nearing a decision.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

From Bill Self’s first-half ejection to a near-fight following a flagrant foul in transition from Elmarko Jackson, Kansas looked out of sorts against the Sun Devils. —Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 4 Mar. 2026

Now, does the amount of water used in your beloved everything shower come anywhere near to the water being used to cool massive AI data systems? —Elizabeth Gulino, Allure, 3 Mar. 2026

Preposition

Idaho State Police, with assistance from local authorities, as well as search and rescue groups, excavated the backyard over several days — starting in a small spot near the fence line, and eventually removing and sifting dirt from the entire area. —Alex Brizee march 5, Idaho Statesman, 6 Mar. 2026

Sri Lanka said more than 200 sailors aboard another Iranian warship near its coast were being escorted to a naval base outside the capital, Colombo. —Arkansas Online, 6 Mar. 2026

Adjective

Friday is expected to bring near-record high temperatures and a break in the rain. —Cheryl Vari, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Mar. 2026

The biggest challenge to the industry in the near future, Harteveldt said, would be prospective travelers reluctant to visit the Gulf and Middle East as a result of the conflict. —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026

Verb

The Rams are nearing an agreement to acquire All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie from Kansas City, trading the 29th overall pick and additional selections. —Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026

Its annual revenue run rate is nearing $20 billion, up from about $14 billion only weeks ago, according to sources, while its recent $30 billion funding in a new round valued the AI developer at roughly $380 billion. —Barbara Booth, CNBC, 4 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adverb, Preposition, Adjective, and Verb

Middle English ner, partly from ner nearer, from Old English nēar, comparative of nēah nigh; partly from Old Norse nær nearer, comparative of nā- nigh — more at nigh

First Known Use

Adverb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Preposition

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

circa 1522, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing near

• anything near
• as far/near as I can tell
• as near as dammit
• as near as damn it
• (as) near as someone can tell/figure
• close/dear/near to one's heart
• damn near
• darn near
• draw near
• draw near/nigh
• far and near
• from far and near
• from near and far
• near and dear
• near and dear to her heart
• near at hand
• near beer
• near completion
• near-death experience
• near field communication
• near gale
• near-infrared
• near miss
• near money
• near point
• near relation
• near the mark
• near the wind
• near thing
• near-ultraviolet
• nowhere near
• pretty near/nearly
• too near for comfort

Rhymes for near

• beer
• bier
• cheer
• clear
• dear
• deer
• drear
• ear
• fear
• fier
• gear
• hear

Kids Definition

near

1 of 4 adverb

ˈni(ə)r 

1

: at, within, or to a short distance or time

night was drawing near

2

: in a condition or state resembling or close to : almost

near dead

3

: nearly sense 1

near related

near

2 of 4 preposition

(ˈ)ni(ə)r

: close to

standing near the door

near

3 of 4 adjective

ˈni(ə)r

1

: closely related or associated

her nearest and dearest friend

2

a

: not far away

the near future

b

: barely avoided

a near disaster

c

: almost not happening

a near victory

3

: being the closer of two

the near side of a hill

4

: direct entry 2 sense 1, short

the nearest route

5

: closely resembling a model or a genuine example

near silk

nearness noun

near

4 of 4 verb

ˈni(ə)r

: to come near : approach

the ship was nearing the dock

Etymology

Adverb

Old English nēar "nearer," comparative form of nēah "near, close" — related to neighbor, nigh see Word History at neighbor