adj

near

neer

adj

Physically close to something or someone.

"The bus stop is near the pharmacy."

"She stayed near the exit in case of an emergency."

Close in time; soon to happen.

"The wedding is drawing near."

"We are near the end of the project."

Closely connected, related, or similar; almost the same.

"It was a near copy of the original design."

"They reached a near consensus on the plan."

adv

Almost; approximately.

"The tank is near empty."

"It took near an hour to fix."

prep

At or to a short distance from.

"They live near the coast."

"Park the car near the entrance."

How to Use Near

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishClose by in distance, time, or relationship — not far off.

Common mistake

As a preposition, "near" doesn't need "to": say "near the station," not "near to the station" (though "near to" is used in more formal or emotional contexts, e.g. "near to tears").

Common pairings

near the end near miss nowhere near draw near

Word Forms

nearer comparative, nearer comparative, neared past tense, nears plural, nears plural, Nears plural, nears singular, nearest superlative, nearest superlative

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “near” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

The bus stop is _____ the pharmacy.

Etymology

From Old English nēar, originally the comparative of "nigh" ("close"). Over time "near" took over as the plain adjective, while "nigh" became old-fashioned.

Synonyms

View more →

around the corner citerior close close by immediate nearby present propinquitous proximate

Antonyms

off distant far from

Related Words

on standard close kill give finish future bad

Rhymes for near

ear year dear hear tear bear wear fear pear gear rear sear

See all rhymes for near →

People Also Searched

around the corner citerior close close by immediate nearby present propinquitous proximate off distant far from