Pronunciation

/ˈnɪərli/

Definitions

• Adverb: To a very great extent or almost completely; close to but not exactly. It indicates that something falls just short of being complete or exact.

Example sentence (adverb):

• The answer was nearly correct.
• She finished her work nearly on time.

Phrases

• “Nearly done”: Close to finishing something.
• “Nearly there”: Close to arriving at a destination.
• “Nearly perfect”: Almost without any flaws or mistakes.

Example Sentences

• Adverb:
  • It’s nearly midnight, we should get going.
  • I was nearly asleep when the phone rang.

Synonyms

• Almost
• Virtually
• Essentially
• Roughly
• Approximately
• About
• Just about
• Nearly enough
• All but

Usage in Idiomatic Expressions

• “Nearly enough” can be used to emphasize that something is sufficient but not quite ideal: “We have nearly enough supplies to last the week.”
• “Missed it by a hair/nearly missed it” implies coming close to achieving or reaching something but ultimately falling short: “He nearly missed the bus this morning.”