as in almost
very close to but not completely
it was well-nigh dark, but I could still see a little
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Recent Examples of well-nigh
At Calder Gardens, art, architecture, and horticulture achieve a well-nigh perfect equilibrium.
—
Martin Filler, The New York Review of Books, 27 Nov. 2025
The journey along the Gemini, which measured only 18 feet and five inches from bow to stern, proved to be well-nigh impossible.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 11 Nov. 2025
Right now, though, a coherent A.I. policy seems well-nigh inconceivable.
—John Cassidy, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
In my book, Peter Seidler was a model citizen, a well-nigh heroic one.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 21 Nov. 2023
Martin Filler, The New York Review of Books, 27 Nov. 2025
The journey along the Gemini, which measured only 18 feet and five inches from bow to stern, proved to be well-nigh impossible.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 11 Nov. 2025
Right now, though, a coherent A.I. policy seems well-nigh inconceivable.
—John Cassidy, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
In my book, Peter Seidler was a model citizen, a well-nigh heroic one.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 21 Nov. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for well-nigh
Adverb
-
The majority of what remained was auctioned off by the French state in a wave of republican sentiment almost a hundred years later.—
Laura Sharman,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Last year was almost certainly the first year of the 21st century that preventable child mortality went up rather than down.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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Minnie is practically invisible to most of the students at North Little Rock High School, which is what makes her friendship with Callie — the most popular girl in her class — so special.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
-
AirEssentials Half Zip The AirEssentials line was practically made for Southern springs.—
Melanie Fincher,
Southern Living,
14 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
As of Thursday, that system still had nearly 500 outages.—
ALEX ROZIER Mississippi Today,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Guthrie lives on nearly an acre, in a brown-brick, ranch-style house with an attached garage, a short gravel driveway, and desert landscaping.—
Paige Williams,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Ferguson is listed as the sole director of the companies, all of which applied in recent days to be struck off the UK’s official Companies House register, where virtually all businesses must file information such as directors’ details and annual returns.—
Billy Stockwell,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
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The rain the county has recorded since October has virtually eliminated the risk of large wildfires, at least for the next few months.—
Gary Robbins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Well-nigh.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/well-nigh. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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