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

Concentra works with nearly 200,000 employers across 650 centers, according to the company. — Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 23 July 2026

More than 455,000 earn within a dollar of the minimum wage, according to data from United Way, and nearly four times that number earn less than $20 an hour. — Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026

Buzzy semiconductor stocks that surged earlier this year have struggled to maintain their momentum, with the popular iShares Semiconductor index falling nearly 20% from its early-June peak. — Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 23 July 2026

Vinnie Pasquantino missed nearly four weeks with a hamate injury. — Kansas City Star, 23 July 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