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

Petrol car registrations fell about 26% year-on-year in January, while battery-electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid-electric cars were up nearly 14%, 32% and 6%, respectively. —Sam Meredith, CNBC, 24 Feb. 2026

But to Schwartz, 79, an American retiree, the cartel was nearly invisible. —Mary Beth Sheridan, CNN Money, 24 Feb. 2026

It’s been envisioned for nearly two decades. —Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026

By the morning hours, most parts of the state had already gotten a foot or more of snow, with portions of the southeast corner of Connecticut reporting nearly 20 inches. —Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 23 Feb. 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