adverb
nigh
neye
adverb
1
Close in time or space; almost — an old-fashioned or literary word for "near."
"Winter was drawing nigh."
"The end is nigh, the preacher warned."
How to Use Nigh
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAn old-fashioned way of saying "near" or "almost."
When to use it
Archaic or literary — rarely used in ordinary modern speech except in fixed phrases like "the end is nigh."
Common pairings
drawing nigh
the end is nigh
Word Forms
nigher comparative, more nigh comparative, nighed past tense, Nighs plural, nighs singular, nighest superlative, most nigh superlative
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Etymology
From Old English nēah, meaning "near" — an older form of the modern word "near."