near

[nɪər]

near Definition

• 1. at or to a short distance away from something
• 2. almost at a particular state, condition, or quality
• 3. not far away in time or degree

Using near: Examples

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "near" can be used in various situations through the following examples!

• Example

  The store is near the park.

• Example

  We are near the end of the project.

• Example

  He was near tears when he heard the news.

near Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms for near

• close
• adjacent
• proximate
• immediate
• neighboring

Antonyms for near

• far
• distant
• remote

Idioms Using near

• in the near future

  at a time that is not far away

  Example

  We plan to expand our business in the near future.

• near and far

  everywhere

  Example

  We searched for the lost dog near and far.

• near the knuckle

  bordering on being offensive or indecent

  Example

  His jokes were a bit near the knuckle for my taste.

Phrases with near

• near and dear

  very important or emotionally close to someone

  Example

  Her family is near and dear to her heart.

• near miss

  a narrowly avoided collision or other disaster

  Example

  The car had a near miss with a pedestrian.

• near thing

  something that almost happened or was almost true

  Example

  It was a near thing, but we managed to finish the project on time.

Origins of near

from Old English 'neah', meaning 'nigh'

📌

Summary: near in Brief

The adverb 'near' [nɪər] refers to a short distance away from something, as well as almost reaching a particular state or quality. It can also denote a temporal proximity, as in 'We are near the end of the project.' 'Near' has idiomatic uses such as 'near miss,' which describes a narrowly avoided disaster, and 'in the near future,' which refers to a time not far away. The phrase 'near and dear' denotes emotional closeness, while 'near the knuckle' implies borderline offensiveness.