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

In proof-of-concept tests, the intense heat turned the raw materials into cement clinker within seconds, nearly 100 times faster than standard production. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026

The film world premiered in Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight section in May, becoming the first Thai feature selected for the sidebar in nearly two decades. — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2026

The actresses are reprising their roles as the two witch sisters nearly 30 years after the 1998 original. — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 27 Aug. 2026

Between April and July, Russian exports to India rose nearly 60% from last year, according to India's latest trade data. — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 27 Aug. 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