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

At the center of this movement is OpenAI, led by Sam Altman, whose generative AI models represent a general-purpose capability—comparable to the steam engine or electric motor—that can amplify nearly every form of knowledge work. —Phil Kafarakis, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026

That’s crucial because nearly 3 out of 4 people experiencing homelessness in California have endured physical violence, and more than 9 in 10 are crime or trauma survivors. —Kathy Brown-Lowe, Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2026

Divide reserved marinara mixture between cutlets and spread nearly to edges of each. —Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026

The daily average of TikTok uninstalls are up nearly 150% in the last five days compared to the last three months, market firm SensorTower told CNBC on Monday. —Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 27 Jan. 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