near

1 of 4

adverb

ˈnir 

1

: at, within, or to a short distance or time

sunset was drawing near

2

: almost, nearly

was near dead

3

: in a close or intimate manner : closely

near related

4

archaic : in a frugal manner

near

2 of 4

preposition

: close to

beaches near the city

seemed to be near death

near

3 of 4

adjective

1

a

: not far distant in time, place, or degree

in the near future

b

: almost happening : narrowly missed or avoided

a near win in the primary

a near midair collision

c

: nearly not happening

a near escape

2

: closely related or intimately associated

her nearest and dearest friend

3

a

: being the closer of two

the near side

b

: being the left-hand one of a pair

the near wheel of a cart

4

: direct, short

the nearest road

5

: stingy, closefisted

6

a

: closely resembling the standard or typical

a near desert

b

: approximating the genuine

near silk

nearness noun

near

4 of 4

verb

neared; nearing; nears

: approach

Synonyms of near

Adverb

• close
• in
• nearby

Preposition

• around
• beside
• at

Adjective

• closer

Verb

• close
• come
• approach

Examples of near in a Sentence

Adverb

The plant was near dead when I got it.

as the campers grew cold, so they gravitated nearer to the campfire

Preposition

I left the box near the door.

The cat won't go near fire.

There are several beaches near here.

She came home near midnight.

We feared he was near death.

Adjective

The nearest grocery store is three blocks away.

The near side headlight is out.

Verb

As the date of the performance neared, we grew more and more anxious.

He always cheers up when baseball season nears.

The airplane began to descend as it neared the island.

He must be nearing 80 years of age.

The negotiators were nearing a decision.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

The resulting disruptions have ground some airports to a near-halt, while others contend with security lines that snake out into parking lots and last upward of four hours. —Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026

Tuesday’s quake was centered nearer to the Vava’u island group. —ABC News, 24 Mar. 2026

Preposition

Alleged serial killer Rex Heuermann is expected to plead guilty at an April 8 court appearance, and admit to killing women and dumping their bodies near Gilgo Beach along with other locations on Long Island, according to a source familiar with the case. —Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2026

Residents at Silver Court Mobile Home Park, located near Southwest 8th Street and 32nd Avenue, say they were given six months to vacate after receiving a notice on March 11 from a firm representing the property owner. —Ivan Taylor, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026

Adjective

Perhaps the apocalypse is near, because what’s proven to be a difficult task for the Hornets seemingly forever finally happened Thursday night. —Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 27 Mar. 2026

Against a backdrop of heightened uncertainty, Middle Eastern investment funds, a major source of capital for private equity globally, may also be taking a pause with outbound commitments at least for the near term, Thompson said. —Anniek Bao, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026

Verb

The war, now nearing the one-month mark, has raised concerns about inflation and slowing industrial activity across the world, clouding the demand outlook for metals. —Bloomberg, 26 Mar. 2026

With the rosters set and the games nearing, here’s a look at some 2026 Sox storylines. —Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adverb, Preposition, Adjective, and Verb

Middle English ner, partly from ner nearer, from Old English nēar, comparative of nēah nigh; partly from Old Norse nær nearer, comparative of nā- nigh — more at nigh

First Known Use

Adverb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Preposition

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

circa 1522, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing near

• anything near
• as far/near as I can tell
• as near as dammit
• as near as damn it
• (as) near as someone can tell/figure
• close/dear/near to one's heart
• damn near
• darn near
• draw near
• draw near/nigh
• far and near
• from far and near
• from near and far
• near and dear
• near and dear to her heart
• near at hand
• near beer
• near completion
• near-death experience
• near field communication
• near gale
• near-infrared
• near miss
• near money
• near point
• near relation
• near the mark
• near the wind
• near thing
• near-ultraviolet
• nowhere near
• pretty near/nearly
• too near for comfort

Rhymes for near

• beer
• bier
• cheer
• clear
• dear
• deer
• drear
• ear
• fear
• fier
• gear
• hear

Kids Definition

near

1 of 4 adverb

ˈni(ə)r 

1

: at, within, or to a short distance or time

night was drawing near

2

: in a condition or state resembling or close to : almost

near dead

3

: nearly sense 1

near related

near

2 of 4 preposition

(ˈ)ni(ə)r

: close to

standing near the door

near

3 of 4 adjective

ˈni(ə)r

1

: closely related or associated

her nearest and dearest friend

2

a

: not far away

the near future

b

: barely avoided

a near disaster

c

: almost not happening

a near victory

3

: being the closer of two

the near side of a hill

4

: direct entry 2 sense 1, short

the nearest route

5

: closely resembling a model or a genuine example

near silk

nearness noun

near

4 of 4 verb

ˈni(ə)r

: to come near : approach

the ship was nearing the dock

Etymology

Adverb

Old English nēar "nearer," comparative form of nēah "near, close" — related to neighbor, nigh see Word History at neighbor