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

But nearly 10,000 Dream fans were, and that should cause eyebrows to arch. — Ken Sugiura, AJC.com, 23 June 2026

One company that provided services at the detention center was notified on June 13 that its services would no longer be needed and that nearly 150 employees could lose their jobs as early as June 26. — Ivan Taylor, CBS News, 23 June 2026

November 2010 – Construction begins on project to update the pool, prone to leaking, holding stagnant water and taking nearly 20 to 30 million gallons of city water a year to refill. — Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 23 June 2026

Huge bonus—they’re nearly 40% off. — Jacquelyn Smith, Parents, 23 June 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