nigh

adverb

\ ˈnī

Definition of nigh

(Entry 1 of 4)

1 : near in place, time, or relationship Morning was drawing nigh. —often used with on, onto, or unto served … for nigh on forty years— M. S. Tisdale

2 : nearly, almost … once well nigh broke his neck, by a fall from one of its branches.— Washington Irving

nigh

adjective

Definition of nigh (Entry 2 of 4)

1 : close, near

2 chiefly dialectal : direct, short

3 : being on the left side the nigh horse

nigh

preposition

Definition of nigh (Entry 3 of 4)

: near

nigh

verb

nighed; nighing; nighs

Definition of nigh (Entry 4 of 4)

transitive verb

: to draw or come near to : approach

intransitive verb

: to draw near

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about nigh

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Synonyms & Antonyms for nigh

Synonyms: Adverb

Synonyms: Adjective

Synonyms: Preposition

Synonyms: Verb

Antonyms: Adjective

Antonyms: Verb

Examples of nigh in a Sentence

Adverb The snow is melting. Spring is nigh. It would be nigh impossible to fix it. Preposition a field nigh the church Verb as the hour of his death was nighing as the old man was nighing his hour of death

Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb Once again, the political left claimed the end of the black franchise was nigh. — Jason L. Riley, WSJ, "The Democrats Are Stuck in 1964," 6 Apr. 2021 The warnings prompted many observers to declare that, finally, after years of Netflix tacitly allowing password sharing, the end of the common practice was nigh. — Adam Epstein, Quartz, "Why Netflix won’t risk a true crackdown on password sharing," 27 Mar. 2021 Coordination between those two nations over the repatriation and settlement of refugees is nigh-impossible without the maintenance of at least some degree of communication. — Brian Wong, Fortune, "ASEAN states must act to help Myanmar. This is where they should start," 25 Mar. 2021 Of course, trying to rival Jesus was always going to be difficult, if not nigh impossible. — Samindra Kunti, Forbes, "Flamengo Retains Brazilian Crown After Final Day Of Drama And Defeat," 26 Feb. 2021 Initial impressions: This thing is nigh unstoppable. — Bill Roberson, Forbes, "Quiet Kat’s Crazy ‘Jeep’ Electric Fat Bike Measures Up To Its Famous Namesake," 28 Feb. 2021 Marla also puts up a front, though hers is nigh impenetrable. — Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, "Review: Rosamund Pike, Peter Dinklage face off in Netflix's biting, darkly funny 'I Care a Lot'," 19 Feb. 2021 Cliver’s study found plastic boards with a patchwork of bacteria-trapping grooves (like mine) are nigh impossible to scrub completely clean by hand. — Paul Stephen, ExpressNews.com, "Busting the myth that wood cutting boards are less sanitary than plastic cutting boards. Turns out wood is safer," 9 Jan. 2021 For south Alabama, the weather service in Mobile said to expect frequent wind gusts of 15-25 mph inland with gusts potential as nigh as 35-40 mph along the coast overnight and into Thursday. — Leigh Morgan, al, "Secure your Santa -- it may be windy today and tomorrow," 23 Dec. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective On its Instagram, hypnotic video loops of cheese and consome sizzling on a flat-top grill showcase a nigh-pornographic attention to detail and stimulate the appetite. — Soleil Ho, SFChronicle.com, "Richmond’s viral driveway taco is just as hypnotic at its new restaurant home," 22 Oct. 2020 In the 1990s, cops began encouraging the homeless to settle on this abandoned stretch of land, and others soon joined them to take advantage of the nigh-lawless space. — Wes Enzinna, Harper's magazine, "Gimme Shelter," 19 Nov. 2019 Well, well, well, Aries, looks like your time is nigh and Taurus season is upon us imminently. — Allure, "Bite Beauty's Astrology Lipstick for Leo Is an Attention-Grabbing Glittery Gold," 19 July 2018 While Vesuvius buried Pompeii in lava and ash 14 years later, the end wasn't exactly nigh for the entire planet. — National Geographic, "No, the World Will Not End on April 23," 13 Apr. 2018 While Vesuvius buried Pompeii in lava and ash 14 years later, the end wasn't exactly nigh for the entire planet. — National Geographic, "No, the World Will Not End on April 23," 13 Apr. 2018 While Vesuvius buried Pompeii in lava and ash 14 years later, the end wasn't exactly nigh for the entire planet. — National Geographic, "No, the World Will Not End on April 23," 13 Apr. 2018 While Vesuvius buried Pompeii in lava and ash 14 years later, the end wasn't exactly nigh for the entire planet. — National Geographic, "No, the World Will Not End on April 23," 13 Apr. 2018 While Vesuvius buried Pompeii in lava and ash 14 years later, the end wasn't exactly nigh for the entire planet. — National Geographic, "No, the World Will Not End on April 23," 13 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'nigh.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.