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

The Kings went scoreless for nearly seven minutes while missing 18 of their first 19 shots in Wednesday’s NBA Summer League game against the Boston Celtics. — Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 16 July 2026

Sixty percent use it in their professional lives, while nearly the same number are wary of its impact on the future of the state and society. — Tyler Pare, Washington Post, 16 July 2026

The mentality that Tuchel cited repeatedly in that contentious interview in Miami after beating Norway was nearly enough to get the Three Lions to the final. — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 16 July 2026

Bank of New York Mellon — Shares rose nearly 3% after the bank reported an earnings and revenue beat in the second quarter. — Christina Cheddar Berk,davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 15 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