nearly

adverb

near·​ly ˈnir-lē 

1

: in a close manner or relationship

nearly related

2

a

: almost but not quite

nearly identical

nearly a year later

b

: to the least extent

not nearly as good as we expected

Synonyms

• closely

Examples of nearly in a Sentence

I see her nearly every day.

We lived there for nearly two years.

Nearly all of us got sick that weekend.

Recent Examples on the Web

The 30-month-long case, which thrust Idaho into the national spotlight, spanned several states as investigators searched for a suspect for nearly seven weeks. —Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 1 July 2025

Aldean has racked up 30 No. 1 country radio hits across his career, along with over 20 million albums sold and nearly 20 billion global streams. —Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 1 July 2025

But more nearly a third of college students in North Carolina receive the grants and could be affected. —Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 1 July 2025

Citing industry research, the company said that between June and December of 2024, there were nearly 6,000 intentional attacks on critical communications infrastructure. —Dade Hayes, Deadline, 1 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1561, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing nearly

• nearly gave someone a heart attack
• not nearly
• pretty near/nearly

Rhymes for nearly

• clearly
• dearly
• merely
• queerly
• yearly
• austerely
• severely
• sincerely
• cavalierly

Kids Definition

nearly

adverb

near·​ly ˈni(ə)r-lē 

1

: in a close manner or relationship

nearly related

2

: almost but not quite

nearly the same

nearly missed the train

3

: to the least extent

not nearly enough