next to

1 of 2

preposition

1

: immediately following or adjacent to

2

: in comparison to

next to you I'm wealthy

next to

2 of 2

adverb

: very nearly : almost

it was next to impossible to see in the fog

Synonyms of next to

Preposition

• near
• around
• next door to
• beside
• by
• at

Adverb

• almost
• nearly
• practically
• just about
• fairly
• about
• pretty much

Examples of next to in a Sentence

Preposition

enjoys living next to the ocean

next to the war, the flagging economy was the biggest campaign issue

Adverb

bought it for next to nothing

Recent Examples on the Web

Preposition

And then on Sunday, next to Granada’s imposing Alhambra fortress, Kuss — providing there are no nasty surprises — will complete his third Grand Tour in a row. — Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Since low-energy X-rays and ultraviolet light are next to each other on the electromagnetic spectrum, Muhibullah and his team suspect that the low-energy X-rays are spillover from objects emitting prodigious amounts of ultraviolet. — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 11 Sep. 2026

Adverb

That topic is the next to be brought up, thanks to the show’s producer, Tamra Judge. — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026

After an introduction by Molly Sims, Paige DeSorbo took to the podium next to receive the Courage Award presented by the Purina Purple Leash Project, a charity that helps create pet-friendly shelters for survivors of domestic abuse. — Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 24 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Preposition

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

1596, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for next to

• accrue
• ado
• ainu
• aircrew
• airscrew
• anew
• askew
• baboo
• babu
• bamboo
• beaucoup
• bijou

Kids Definition

next to

1 of 2 preposition

: immediately following : being close to

next to the head of her class

next to

2 of 2 adverb

: very nearly : almost