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

• 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

Lamb nearly hauled in a final fourth-down throw with Cooper DeJean trailing close behind. —The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025

Kennedy’s hearing, which lasted nearly three hours, was often contentious as he was grilled on everything from vaccine availability to his staffing shakeups at the CDC. —Jon Haworth, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2025

An Ohio state appeals court reinstated Lincoln Heights councilman Daronce Daniels nearly a year after his removal. —David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 5 Sep. 2025

Politically, the county, with a population of nearly 257,000, is firmly planted on the Left. —David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025

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