near1 adverb, prepositionnear2 adjectivenear3 verb
nearnear1 /nɪə $ nɪr/ ●●● S1 W1 adverb, preposition 
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Add the cream near the end of the cooking time.
- Asha's office is near the vending machines.
- Sasha grew up on a farm near Ithaca, New York.
THESAURUS
only a short distance from something or someone: · I live near Salzburg in Austria.· If we moved to Dallas, we’d be near my parents.
very near something or someone, or almost touching them: · The hotel is close to the beach.· Nancy came and sat close beside me on the bed.
not a long distance away – used when saying that a place is near enough to be easy to get to: · The station’s not far away from here.
near here or near a particular place: · Is there a post office nearby?· A group of reporters were waiting nearby.
easy to walk to from somewhere, or near enough to something for you to walk there: · There’s a good school within walking distance.· The house is within walking distance of shopping facilities.
British English, be convenient to something American English to be near a place that people want to get to, so that the place is easy to reach: · The area is very convenient for Gatwick airport.· I want a hotel that’s convenient for the city centre.
in or near the area where you are or the area you are talking about: · I prefer to buy fruit and vegetables that are grown locally.
(also round here British English) spoken in the general area near here: · Parking is impossible around here.· Is there a garage round here?
British English, in the neighborhood American English living or existing in the area where you are or the area you are talking about: · We grew up knowing all the other kids in the neighbourhood.· There’s very little crime in the neighborhood.
formal in the area around and near a particular place – used especially in news reports: · A white van was seen in the vicinity at the time the murder took place.
British English, neighboring American English used about towns, countries etc that are very near a particular place: · discussions between Egypt and neighbouring states· The rioting quickly spread to neighbouring areas.
Longman Language Activatornot far away only a short distance from a person, place, or thing: · We camped in a forest near a large lake.· Don't go near the fire.· Have you ever been to Versailles? It's near Paris.· The place where we were going was much nearer than I thought.near enough to do something: · Bob was standing near enough to hear what they were saying.nearer to something/nearest to something: · If we moved to Dallas we'd be nearer to my parents.· Only the people who were nearest to the speaker could actually hear what he said.near here: · The accident happened somewhere near here.
very near to something or someone, or almost touching them: · As we approached Abbeville, the gunfire sounded very close.close to: · Don't drive so close to the edge of the road.close behind/beside: · Suddenly we heard footsteps close behind us.close together: · The houses were built very close together, and the gardens were rather small.· Nancy came over and sat close beside me on the bed.close by (=near where you are): · Is there a gas station close by?
used to say that something is quite near something or someone: a short distance away: · I'd parked my car a short distance away, just around the corner.a short distance from: · Harvard University is only a short distance from the center of Boston.a short distance to the south/north etc: · The source of the river is a short distance to the south of here.
not a very long distance away - use this about somewhere that is near enough to be easy to get to: · "How far's the station?" "Oh, not far - about ten minutes by car."not far from: · Asti is not far from the French border.not far away: · Our hotel was in the centre of town but the beach wasn't far away.
near the place where you are or the place you are talking about: · Dave, who was sitting nearby, laughed when he heard this.· The house is really nice, and a lot of my friends live nearby.· It was very convenient having the garage nearby.
British /neighboring American a neighbouring country, town, area etc is near the place where you are or the place you are talking about: · The fair attracted thousands of people from neighbouring areas.· Soldiers and firemen from 13 neighboring towns wrestled with the blaze for hours.
formal in the area around and near a particular place: · A white van was seen in the vicinity at about the time when the murder took place.in the vicinity of: · In the past ten years there have been more cases of cancer in the vicinity of nuclear installations.
near where you live a local store, hospital etc is in the area where you live and that you are most likely to use: · Volunteers like Joyce go round local schools helping children with their reading problems.somebody's local school/cinema etc: · You can find all these books in your local library.· Polzeath is our local beach, but there are better surfing beaches further away.
informal very near the place where you live: · We're very lucky to have the park right on our doorstep.· Homelessness is a problem that too many people ignore. Yet it's happening on our own doorstep.
informal near the place where you live - use this especially when talking about something that you do not want there: · Most people want the new airport so long as it isn't in their own backyard.
easy to get to if a place is within walking distance , it is not far away, and you can walk there easily: · There are several good restaurants within walking distance.within walking/driving etc distance of: · Dr Goldthorpe lived within walking distance of the University.within easy walking etc distance (of something): · Fortunately the house that we were renting was within easy driving distance of the shops.
near enough to a town or place for you to get there without too much difficulty: within reach of: · It was just lucky that we were within reach of a hospital.within easy reach (=near enough to get to easily): · Around Salzburg there are literally dozens of exciting places to visit -- all within easy reach.
British also convenient to something American if your home, office etc is convenient for or handy for a particular place, that place is near it and easy to reach: · The place where we live now is very convenient for the school - it's only a couple of minutes on foot.· My husband works in London so we're looking for a house that's handy for the station. · We found an apartment convenient to campus and public transportation.
also round the corner British not far away, especially in the streets of a town: · "Is there a bank near here?" "Sure, it's just around the corner."· She won't be long, she's only gone round the corner.around the corner from: · We met in a bar just around the corner from my apartment.
if a building or person is close at hand , they are very near and therefore available in case you need them: · The Exhibition Centre is a great day out, with plenty of parking and all the attractions of Manchester close at hand.· I'm very glad that, when my children were small, my mother was always close at hand.
if you say it's no distance , you mean that a place is not far away and is therefore easy to get to: · We come up here regularly from London; it's no distance. it's no distance from: · It's no distance from here to Fifth Avenue. We can easily walk it.
if one place is a stone's throw from another place, it is only a very short distance from it, so that it is easy to get to: · I was born in Wembley, a stone's throw from the football stadium!only a stone's throw from something: · Stanford Hospital is only a stone's throw from where I live.within a stone's throw of something: · The river's within a stone's throw of our apartment - we can see it from the window.
the nearest house/shop/station etc the nearest shop, station etc that is closest to where you are: · Excuse me, where's the nearest subway station?
the next house, street etc that is closest to the one you are in or the one you are talking about: · The people in the next apartment were making a lot of noise.· I had to move the car. It's just around the corner in the next street.
the fact of being near: nearness/closeness to · The price of villas varies considerably, according to their facilities and their nearness to the sea.· Some of the people took advantage of their village's closeness to the border and made profits from smuggling.
formal nearness: proximity to: · San Francisco has a significant immigrant population because of its proximity to Asia.proximity of: · The proximity of schools, stores, hospitals, and so on is an important factor when purchasing a house.
near enough to pick up/touch/hit if something is handy , it is near enough for you to pick up and use quickly and easily: keep/have something handy: · Make sure you keep your passport and ticket handy.· A lot of people in the States have a gun handy at night and when they travel.
if something is within reach , it is near enough for you to take hold of or touch when you stretch out your hand: · As soon as she was within reach he grabbed her wrist.within easy reach: · Roy pulled the ashtray towards him so that it was within easy reach.within somebody's reach: · At this exploratory stage, small children will want to touch anything you leave within their reach.
if something is within range , it is near enough for you to attack it or for a weapon to reach it: · Once its prey is within range, the snake's head shoots forward to attack.within range of: · The village is well within range of the rockets which are being fired.come within range of something: · A day later, the "Tiger" convoy came within range of air attack.
a gun fired point-blank is fired very close to the person or thing it is aimed at: · The men broke into the building at the dead of night, and shot their victims point-blank as they slept.
near enough to see or hear clearly very near, especially so that you can see something clearly: · If you look at the painting close up you can see that it's a fake.close up to: · Dragging a chair close up to the television screen, she sat down to watch the film.
if you see or experience something at close quarters , often something dangerous or frightening, you are closer to it than usual, especially so that you can see it clearly: · From our hiding place we were able to observe the animals at close quarters.· This was the first time I had seen such poverty at close quarters.
very near someone or something, especially after you have only seen them from a distance: come/get/go/move etc up close: · Brigit looked great from a distance, but when she came up close you could see that she wore a lot of make-up.· "All you have to do is to get up close," Woolley said, " and shoot straight."
a photograph taken from very near: · She brought the camera forward to get a close-up of the actor's face.in close-up (=from very near): · Each butterfly had been photographed in close-up so that you could see every detail.
to get nearer to someone or something to go or come nearer to a person, place, or thing: · As Kay got near the house she began to feel nervous.get near/close to: · We had been traveling for two hours and I knew that we must be getting close to Vancouver.get near/close enough to do something: · I couldn't get close enough to see what was happening.get nearer/closer (to something): · People were running for shelter. The hurricane was getting closer and closer.· Every day the Russian tanks were getting nearer to Berlin.
to move gradually closer to a person, place, or thing. Approach is more formal than get near and get close .: · The train slowed down as it started to approach the station.· We could hear footsteps approaching down the corridor.
if a group of people close in on someone or something, they gradually move closer to them from all sides so that they surround them in a threatening way: · Well-organized bands of rebels began to close in on the capital.· The divers were surrounded by three sharks which were rapidly closing in on them.· TV crews closed in on Geldof as soon as he stepped out of his car.
to gradually get nearer to a place - used especially in stories or descriptions of events: · As she neared her home she could see a light in the window.
written to move closer to something or someone: · The two men were talking, but as we drew near they turned and stared at us.· Madge drew a little nearer so that she could hear what he was saying.draw near to: · The rebels hoped that many of the government troops would join them when they drew near to the city.
to stay very near to someone or something: stay close/keep close to · While the eggs are hatching the mother bird stays close to the nest.stay close/keep close together · Once we're inside the cave, we must all keep close together. We don't want anyone to get lost.
if someone, especially a child, clings to you, they stay close to you all the time, especially because they lack confidence and depend on you too much: · It's quite common for a child to cling to his or her mother on the first day at school.· One of the girls was clinging to me all night at the disco. I just couldn't get rid of her.
to stay very close to the edge or surface of something, especially while moving along it: · The new road will stretch from Barcelona to the Adriatic, hugging the Mediterranean coast.· A row of tiny feeding fish were hugging the rock surface where I stood.· After Dunseverik, the path hugs the clifftop near Brebane Head.
to not go near to a person or place · You'd better not come near me. I've got a bad cold.· People didn't go anywhere near the place at night. They were frightened of ghosts.· Don't go too near the fire!
to never go near something or someone or to not go near them during a period of time, especially in order to avoid danger or trouble: · Stay away from the edge of the cliff.stay/keep well away from something/somebody: · If I were you I'd keep well away from him. He doesn't have a good reputation.
to not go too close to someone or something, especially because it might be dangerous or harmful to go near: · Police warned the public to keep their distance if they saw a man fitting this description.keep your distance from: · Stick to the paths, and make sure you keep your distance from nesting birds.
if you tell someone to keep back or stay back , you mean that they should not come nearer, especially because of possible danger: · Keep back, everyone! The tree may come down at any moment.keep/stay well back: · She lit the bonfire and told the children to stay well back.
when something almost happens but does not · I was laughing so hard I almost fell out of my chair.· The terrorists almost succeeded in blowing up the President's limousine.very nearly · She was very lucky. She very nearly lost her life.
to almost do something or almost be in a particular state: come close/near to doing something: · She was so angry that she came very close to walking out of the meeting.· Dad came near to changing his mind about lending me the car.be close/near to something: · The negotiations were very near to breaking down.
to very nearly do something, especially something dangerous or unpleasant: come within inches of death: · Coulson came within inches of death on a climbing trip in the Himalayas last year.come within an inch of doing something: · Manchester United came within an inch of losing the game.
: narrowly avoid/miss/escape etc to avoid something unpleasant or dangerous, although you almost do not avoid it: · Flying into the airport at Lima, we narrowly avoided a collision with another plane.· The article says Meyers narrowly escaped arrest in Rome last month.
a situation in which someone is almost killed or injured: · Mike's had two motorcycle accidents, plus a few other pretty close shaves.
British if something that you succeed in doing is a near thing or a close thing you succeed in doing it, but only at the last moment: · The Labour party won the election, but it was a very near thing.· Security forces managed to free the hostages, but it was a very close thing.
spoken say this when something bad very nearly happens but does not, especially when this is the result of good luck: · The guard began to search the pile of leaves where we were hiding, but then got distracted by a noise from the house. "Phew, that was close!" said John. "C'mon, let's get out of here!"
a long distance a long distance - use this especially in negatives and questions: · Have you driven far?· We won't be able to go much farther because of the snow.· Who do you think can jump the farthest?far from: · Cleveland isn't very far from here.· We were sitting too far from the stage to hear what the actors were saying.far above/below/behind etc: · I was now far behind the others and knew I couldn't catch up.
a very long distance from where you are: · The ship was so far away that we could hardly see it.far away from: · She wanted to get as far away from New York as possible.as far away as something: · Because of the snowstorm on the east coast, flights for Boston were sent as far away as Montreal.from far away: · Thousands of people had come from far away for a chance to see the Pope.
also a long ways American spoken a long distance: · You must be tired - you've come a long way.a long way from: · The farm is a long way from the highway.a long way away/a long way off (=a long way from where you are now or from the place you are talking about): · We could hear them shouting from a long way away.· From the map, it looked as if the lake was still a long way off.a long way ahead/below/behind etc: · It's a long way down - hold on tight.
British also quite a ways American spoken fairly far, used especially to warn someone that a distance is longer than they think: · Look at the map. It's a fair way to drive in one day.· The children will have to walk quite a way if we take them into the woods.
further than usual or further than you expected: · José accompanied us for some distance until we reached the highway.· Their house is actually quite a distance from the edge of town.
informal a very long way: · We hiked miles yesterday.miles away: · I don't see Jane much any more - she lives miles away.miles from: · The hotel is miles from the station - I'll come and get you.miles from anywhere (=a long way from the nearest town): · They live up in the mountains, miles from anywhere.miles and miles: · Around here you can walk miles and miles and never see anyone.
a very long way from somewhere, further than you expect to be, or further than someone else says you are: · The car was parked in the middle of the street, nowhere near the curb.· After eight hours climbing, we were still nowhere near the top of the mountain.
formal if you travel far afield , you travel a very long way from the place where you usually live: · With the car they could travel far afield each summer.as far afield as something: · His work took him as far afield as Moscow and Delhi.further/farther afield: · The next day we ventured farther afield and sailed out to one of the islands.
a place that you are not in now · I love Italy - I worked there for a year.· Jackie's arriving at the station at 3.15 and I said I'd meet her there.· When I came home Sean was just sitting there waiting for me.· We drove down to Baltimore, and on the way there we stopped for lunch.right there (=exactly there) · Where's my umbrella? I'm sure I left it right there, next to my bag.from there · We flew in to Munich and from there we took the train to Prague.down/up/in etc there · How did you get up there on the roof?
in a place that you can see or point to but cannot touch: · My car's over there by that big tree.· See those rocks over there? Be careful to keep the boat away from them.
a place that you have mentioned or been in, especially a place that you feel strongly about: · You went to Camp Chippewa too? I hated that place.in that place: · They'll never let us back in that place after the way you behaved.to that place: · Do you remember we went down to that place along the river and had a barbecue?
also round there British in the area near a place you have been talking about: · We usually go to Lake Como for our holidays - it's beautiful round there.· Judy's looking for an apartment in Greenwich Village. A lot of her friends live around there.· One of the largest tornadoes ever seen was photographed near there.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY
I’m sure they live somewhere near here. She told the children not to go near the canal. I’m warning you – don’t come any nearer! We heard voices as we drew near the village. They should send us more details nearer the time of the concert. A lot of the women were near tears. We are no nearer an agreement than we were six months ago. His story was near enough the truth for people to believe it.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES It was the nearest approximation to a crisis she’d ever experienced. The house is nearing completion (=almost finished). The building’s nowhere near finished. She’s nowhere near as pretty as you are.
I’m sure they live somewhere near here. She told the children not to go near the canal. I’m warning you – don’t come any nearer! We heard voices as we drew near the village. They should send us more details nearer the time of the concert. A lot of the women were near tears. We are no nearer an agreement than we were six months ago. His story was near enough the truth for people to believe it. It was the nearest approximation to a crisis she’d ever experienced.· Ruth sat down in the nearest available armchair.
· One of the most important trials in recent history is nearing its climax today.
The house is nearing completion (=almost finished).· He damn near (=almost) drowned.
informal (=much less than you need) We only had $500, and that was nowhere near enough to buy a new camcorder.
We only had $500, and that was nowhere near enough to buy a new camcorder.· The corner store was the closest equivalent we had to a supermarket when I was young.
· Please leave the building in an orderly fashion, using the nearest exit.
(=being almost becoming extinct)· Wolves have returned to the forest, almost ten years after near extinction.
(=soon)· A new product launch is planned for the near future.
The building’s nowhere near finished. She’s nowhere near as pretty as you are.· His collection included an almost perfect skeleton of an armadillo.· Her performance was near perfect.
(=the one that is closest to beating them)· She finished 7.1 seconds ahead of her nearest rival.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· Our team will be as near full strength as possible, although once again injuries are beginning to dog us.
· Subscriptions Will all members with unpaid subscriptions please forward a remittance in the very near future.· She'd be surprised if it wasn't applied to her rump in the very near future.· Besides the present releases, at least three others are planned for the fairly near future.· In Cowley's opinion, the arrogant little man should be invited to leave the country in the very near future indeed.· It was hoped that there might be one or more lawyers in post in the relatively near future.· The trade of elephant catching and training is likely to die out in the very near future.· There could also be an own brand product in the very near future.· Reading the scriptures, they translate this into the very near future.
· It's been near impossible for anymole to see him since November, when he went into retreat.· And these are in no way direct comparisons - that's near impossible.
· In the latter case the specimen is of near perfect geometry for a torsion test.· Conclusions: The velvet cloth is a near perfect black, but more expensive and less readily available than the other materials.· Unfortunately, strong winds curtailed the sport on a near perfect river level carrying about four inches extra, but fining off.· In the main, larval control would have to be near perfect in its efficiency and to allow very few adults to survive.· In this chapter, I look at what would happen if the acoustic-phonetic front-end did achieve near perfect performance.
VERB· And for years and years they never came near.· For a time young Jarratt lived in a rural county, where no minister came near.· Gathered, all of them, boys and girls aged eight to twelve, at the play-yard railings when he came near.· She never once attacked others who came near.· They must know by now whether a relief force was coming near.· With all that booze I came near to passing out.· And just then the noble knight came near, on his black horse.· When the boat bringing us over came near to land, I fell to my knees.
· My dybbuk set out to drive me crazy, and she damned near did.· Why, Seikaly was damned near fully operational.
· As we drew near and I watched 747 after 747 climbing laboriously into the clouds, I wondered what fate befell me.· As lunch-time drew near I decided to let the children listen to the music while they were having their meal.· As closing time drew near, the children grew less.· As the pair drew near he turned and fled.· The roar of the crackling fire drew near and doom seemed inevitable.· Men prosper for a decade, and demons dare not draw near!· Macbean's move comes as the deadline for the second of the quarterly awards draws near.· The bailiff directed all to draw near and give their attendance, promising that they would be heard.
· He stood up as she got near, taking off his sunglasses politely, and they shook hands.· I guess when you get near forty you kind of change.· We could see them, but we couldn't get near because there was no wind.· In fact, it was sometimes so crowded that customers could not get near!· They played well when you got near enough to hear.· And how are we to get near?· This is the thanks we get near civil war in the boardroom.· Eventually the vessel got near enough for us to see that it was a passenger steamer.
· Families living near by were warned to stay indoors because of toxic smoke.· There is a torn up house I live near and the stairs are broken down.· Only those people who live near by are allowed to open accounts.· The next day he and another Bengali boy who lives near by chose another way home, hoping to escape the attackers.· Larger numbers of roe deer live near there and Czechoslovakia still has bears and wolves roaming in the wild.· Let us live near together and be kind to each other and love each other.· Her children all live near, and the house is still full with visiting grandchildren.
· He had had numerous prangs and near misses in his motoring life and not one of them had been his fault.· Anything short of a very near miss merely blew them away.· Discuss the reasons for incidents and near misses with your colleagues, so that the lessons can be learned. 7.· The first questionnaire was about their driving experience including the questions about accidents and near misses that were reported in Study 1.· Warlow's claim that the Earth has flipped five times over 13,000 years implies a cosmic near miss every 2600 years.· Several other motorists had near misses.· You only get points for winning, not dominating and near misses!· Like other convergences, it includes at least as many collisions and near misses as genuine meeting points.
· A guard with a huge Alsatian stood near by.· Miss Sumida stands near, almost touching me, for most of the conversation.· He felt worse because a policeman, who was standing near, laughed and walked away.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► (as) near as damn it► nowhere near/not anywhere near► somebody will not go near somebody/something► so near and yet so farPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► not anything like/near► not anywhere near► near the knuckle► be at/near etc the end of your rope
1short distance away only a short distance from a person or thing: - At noon they saw it; then they were near enough to hear it.
- Filmer had been sitting with his back to me, it was true, but near enough to overhear.
- He is near enough to hear them calling, the words bounced and steered and elongated by the contours of the land.
- Jones and Brewer have had a long series of injuries, but both are near enough to fitness and form.
- No one was near enough to accost her or wonder about her presence.
- The Trojans were almost near enough to set the ships on fire.
- When he saw me, he leaned on his shovel until I was near enough to shake hands.
- Bankside activity has reached such a pitch, even at night, that the carp will not come near the margins.
- Her fiance, the man who was supposed to love her, had not come near her since her father's death.
- My wife would not come near me.
- Colin was fulsome in his praise of the role of finance directors in delivering a near impossible set of financial reforms.
- Comets therefore tend to explode into vapor with near perfect efficiency and devastating power on impact.
- Conclusions: The velvet cloth is a near perfect black, but more expensive and less readily available than the other materials.
- In the latter case the specimen is of near perfect geometry for a torsion test.
- In the main, larval control would have to be near perfect in its efficiency and to allow very few adults to survive.
- So everything seemed okay: the barn was secure, the food supply was better than good and the terrain near perfect.
- That doesn't stop Hedley from dreaming of owning a video store, even though it seems near impossible.
- Unfortunately, strong winds curtailed the sport on a near perfect river level carrying about four inches extra, but fining off.
- Madge drew a little nearer so that she could hear what he was saying.
- Summer vacation is drawing near.
- The rebels hoped that many of the government troops would join them when they drew near to the city.
- The two men were talking, but as we drew near they turned and stared at us.
- As he drew near she made a half-hearted move to rise.
- As midnight draws near, many people make their way to church.
- As she drew near, she called out and asked me the time.
- As the pair drew near he turned and fled.
- Lebed is convinced his time is drawing near.
- The bailiff directed all to draw near and give their attendance, promising that they would be heard.
- The campaign for book buyers' dollars is heating up again this summer, as the political conventions draw near.
- They drew near the bed and stared down at the boy who lay there sleeping in its drifts of tumbling lace.
- At times, the similarities are too close for comfort, edging towards the derivative.
- But our last memory was of a nightingale pair, singing in competition in territories perhaps too close for comfort.
- Cross-addictions may be hotly denied because the subject matter may for some be too close for comfort.
- In a wave trough I caught a glimpse of a coral head to port: a little too close for comfort.
- Lightning dipped and veered in a manner which was far too close for comfort.
- Richard, and you quite see why, finds economy airline seats too close for comfort.
- The movement brought him too close for comfort.
- As the habeas hearing drew near, Lancaster County officials' concern over these revelations grew noticeable.
- As the pair drew near he turned and fled.
- As the race drew closer it was time for Paul to take a back seat.
- As we drew near and I watched 747 after 747 climbing laboriously into the clouds, I wondered what fate befell me.
- Men prosper for a decade, and demons dare not draw near!
- The bailiff directed all to draw near and give their attendance, promising that they would be heard.
- They drew near the bed and stared down at the boy who lay there sleeping in its drifts of tumbling lace.
- Two young boys, of around ten years of age, drawing closer, then parallel, now swiftly passing, past.
- At noon they saw it; then they were near enough to hear it.
- Filmer had been sitting with his back to me, it was true, but near enough to overhear.
- He is near enough to hear them calling, the words bounced and steered and elongated by the contours of the land.
- Jones and Brewer have had a long series of injuries, but both are near enough to fitness and form.
- No one was near enough to accost her or wonder about her presence.
- The Trojans were almost near enough to set the ships on fire.
- When he saw me, he leaned on his shovel until I was near enough to shake hands.
- At Mallia, a similarly designed suite was located in the north-west corner of the temple.
- The bulk of the world's rainforests, 97 percent, are located in 27 developing countries.
- The four metropolitan areas with the highest rents were located in California: San Jose, $ 1, 330.
- The three theaters are located in the center of town.
- When you get an office, you will be located in a business world.
- While the industrial sector remained small in real terms, much industrial production continued to be located in rural areas.
- After eight hours climbing, we were still nowhere near the top of the mountain.
- The car was parked in the middle of the street, nowhere near the curb.
They live near London. I’m sure they live somewhere near here. They moved house to be nearer the school.near to especially British English a hotel near to the beach She told the children not to go near the canal. I’m warning you – don’t come any nearer! We heard voices as we drew near the village.2short time before soon before a particular time or event: I didn’t remember to phone until near the end of the week.near to especially British English I’ll give you a ring a bit nearer to Christmas. They should send us more details nearer the time of the concert.3almost doing something almost doing something or almost in a particular state: The work is now near completion. A lot of the women were near tears. We are no nearer an agreement than we were six months ago.near to He was near to panic as he scrambled out of the building. She was near to crying. He seemed to know that he was near to death.4amount or level almost at a particular amount or level: Inflation is now near 10%. He looked nearer fifty than forty.near to Unemployment is now near to its all-time low. Strawberries are near the top of the list.5similar if something is near something else, it is similar to it: His story was near enough the truth for people to believe it.near to They say that love is very near to hate. It may not be an exact replica but it’s pretty damn near.6near perfect/impossible etc almost perfect, impossible etc: a near impossible task7draw near if an event is drawing near, it is nearly time for it to happen: The day of his interview was drawing near.8 (as) near as damn it British English spoken used to say that something is very nearly true or correct: The repairs will cost us £1,000, as near as damn it.9near enough British English used to say that something is nearly true or correct: It’s eleven o'clock, near enough. All three car parks were full, near enough.10nowhere near/not anywhere near used before an adjective or adverb to say that something is definitely not true: That’s nowhere near enough money! The job wasn’t anywhere near finished.11not come near somebody/something if one person or thing does not come near another one, it is not at all as good as the other one: None of the other word processing programs comes near this one.12somebody will not go near somebody/something if someone will not go near a person or thing, they dislike or are frightened of them and will not speak to the person or use the thing: He refused to go near a doctor. He made up his mind never to go near a motorcycle again.13so near and yet so far used to emphasize that someone very nearly achieved or got somethingTHESAURUSnear only a short distance from something or someone: · I live near Salzburg in Austria.· If we moved to Dallas, we’d be near my parents.close very near something or someone, or almost touching them: · The hotel is close to the beach.· Nancy came and sat close beside me on the bed.not far (away) not a long distance away – used when saying that a place is near enough to be easy to get to: · The station’s not far away from here.nearby near here or near a particular place: · Is there a post office nearby?· A group of reporters were waiting nearby.within walking distance (of something) easy to walk to from somewhere, or near enough to something for you to walk there: · There’s a good school within walking distance.· The house is within walking distance of shopping facilities.be convenient for something British English, be convenient to something American English to be near a place that people want to get to, so that the place is easy to reach: · The area is very convenient for Gatwick airport.· I want a hotel that’s convenient for the city centre.locally in or near the area where you are or the area you are talking about: · I prefer to buy fruit and vegetables that are grown locally.around here (also round here British English) spoken in the general area near here: · Parking is impossible around here.· Is there a garage round here?in the neighbourhood British English, in the neighborhood American English living or existing in the area where you are or the area you are talking about: · We grew up knowing all the other kids in the neighbourhood.· There’s very little crime in the neighborhood.in the vicinity formal in the area around and near a particular place – used especially in news reports: · A white van was seen in the vicinity at the time the murder took place.neighbouring British English, neighboring American English used about towns, countries etc that are very near a particular place: · discussions between Egypt and neighbouring states· The rioting quickly spread to neighbouring areas.near1 adverb, prepositionnear2 adjectivenear3 verb
nearnear2 ●●● S2 W3 adjective EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Martha has to drive 20 miles to the nearest doctor.
- Also, as Sheila Silcock's article highlights, the nearest relative may be unaware of their rights under the Act.
- And those are just a few with Hall of Fame or near Hall of Fame credentials.
- At least things are moving now on 2807 and we may have more news in the near future.
- Other men in the car were watching them too, and the near ones were listening.
- She'd reach for the nearest man, and pull.
- The nearest lakes are Derwentwater and the larger Ullswater where you can take a cruise.
- You know how far it was from our farm to the nearest golf course?
Longman Language Activatornot far away
only a short distance from a person, place, or thing: · We camped in a forest near a large lake.· Don't go near the fire.· Have you ever been to Versailles? It's near Paris.· The place where we were going was much nearer than I thought.near enough to do something: · Bob was standing near enough to hear what they were saying.nearer to something/nearest to something: · If we moved to Dallas we'd be nearer to my parents.· Only the people who were nearest to the speaker could actually hear what he said.near here: · The accident happened somewhere near here.
very near to something or someone, or almost touching them: · As we approached Abbeville, the gunfire sounded very close.close to: · Don't drive so close to the edge of the road.close behind/beside: · Suddenly we heard footsteps close behind us.close together: · The houses were built very close together, and the gardens were rather small.· Nancy came over and sat close beside me on the bed.close by (=near where you are): · Is there a gas station close by?
used to say that something is quite near something or someone: a short distance away: · I'd parked my car a short distance away, just around the corner.a short distance from: · Harvard University is only a short distance from the center of Boston.a short distance to the south/north etc: · The source of the river is a short distance to the south of here.
not a very long distance away - use this about somewhere that is near enough to be easy to get to: · "How far's the station?" "Oh, not far - about ten minutes by car."not far from: · Asti is not far from the French border.not far away: · Our hotel was in the centre of town but the beach wasn't far away.
near the place where you are or the place you are talking about: · Dave, who was sitting nearby, laughed when he heard this.· The house is really nice, and a lot of my friends live nearby.· It was very convenient having the garage nearby.
British /neighboring American a neighbouring country, town, area etc is near the place where you are or the place you are talking about: · The fair attracted thousands of people from neighbouring areas.· Soldiers and firemen from 13 neighboring towns wrestled with the blaze for hours.
formal in the area around and near a particular place: · A white van was seen in the vicinity at about the time when the murder took place.in the vicinity of: · In the past ten years there have been more cases of cancer in the vicinity of nuclear installations.
near where you live a local store, hospital etc is in the area where you live and that you are most likely to use: · Volunteers like Joyce go round local schools helping children with their reading problems.somebody's local school/cinema etc: · You can find all these books in your local library.· Polzeath is our local beach, but there are better surfing beaches further away.
informal very near the place where you live: · We're very lucky to have the park right on our doorstep.· Homelessness is a problem that too many people ignore. Yet it's happening on our own doorstep.
informal near the place where you live - use this especially when talking about something that you do not want there: · Most people want the new airport so long as it isn't in their own backyard.
easy to get to if a place is within walking distance , it is not far away, and you can walk there easily: · There are several good restaurants within walking distance.within walking/driving etc distance of: · Dr Goldthorpe lived within walking distance of the University.within easy walking etc distance (of something): · Fortunately the house that we were renting was within easy driving distance of the shops.
near enough to a town or place for you to get there without too much difficulty: within reach of: · It was just lucky that we were within reach of a hospital.within easy reach (=near enough to get to easily): · Around Salzburg there are literally dozens of exciting places to visit -- all within easy reach.
British also convenient to something American if your home, office etc is convenient for or handy for a particular place, that place is near it and easy to reach: · The place where we live now is very convenient for the school - it's only a couple of minutes on foot.· My husband works in London so we're looking for a house that's handy for the station. · We found an apartment convenient to campus and public transportation.
also round the corner British not far away, especially in the streets of a town: · "Is there a bank near here?" "Sure, it's just around the corner."· She won't be long, she's only gone round the corner.around the corner from: · We met in a bar just around the corner from my apartment.
if a building or person is close at hand , they are very near and therefore available in case you need them: · The Exhibition Centre is a great day out, with plenty of parking and all the attractions of Manchester close at hand.· I'm very glad that, when my children were small, my mother was always close at hand.
if you say it's no distance , you mean that a place is not far away and is therefore easy to get to: · We come up here regularly from London; it's no distance. it's no distance from: · It's no distance from here to Fifth Avenue. We can easily walk it.
if one place is a stone's throw from another place, it is only a very short distance from it, so that it is easy to get to: · I was born in Wembley, a stone's throw from the football stadium!only a stone's throw from something: · Stanford Hospital is only a stone's throw from where I live.within a stone's throw of something: · The river's within a stone's throw of our apartment - we can see it from the window.
the nearest house/shop/station etc the nearest shop, station etc that is closest to where you are: · Excuse me, where's the nearest subway station?
the next house, street etc that is closest to the one you are in or the one you are talking about: · The people in the next apartment were making a lot of noise.· I had to move the car. It's just around the corner in the next street.
the fact of being near: nearness/closeness to · The price of villas varies considerably, according to their facilities and their nearness to the sea.· Some of the people took advantage of their village's closeness to the border and made profits from smuggling.
formal nearness: proximity to: · San Francisco has a significant immigrant population because of its proximity to Asia.proximity of: · The proximity of schools, stores, hospitals, and so on is an important factor when purchasing a house.
near enough to pick up/touch/hit if something is handy , it is near enough for you to pick up and use quickly and easily: keep/have something handy: · Make sure you keep your passport and ticket handy.· A lot of people in the States have a gun handy at night and when they travel.
if something is within reach , it is near enough for you to take hold of or touch when you stretch out your hand: · As soon as she was within reach he grabbed her wrist.within easy reach: · Roy pulled the ashtray towards him so that it was within easy reach.within somebody's reach: · At this exploratory stage, small children will want to touch anything you leave within their reach.
if something is within range , it is near enough for you to attack it or for a weapon to reach it: · Once its prey is within range, the snake's head shoots forward to attack.within range of: · The village is well within range of the rockets which are being fired.come within range of something: · A day later, the "Tiger" convoy came within range of air attack.
a gun fired point-blank is fired very close to the person or thing it is aimed at: · The men broke into the building at the dead of night, and shot their victims point-blank as they slept.
near enough to see or hear clearly very near, especially so that you can see something clearly: · If you look at the painting close up you can see that it's a fake.close up to: · Dragging a chair close up to the television screen, she sat down to watch the film.
if you see or experience something at close quarters , often something dangerous or frightening, you are closer to it than usual, especially so that you can see it clearly: · From our hiding place we were able to observe the animals at close quarters.· This was the first time I had seen such poverty at close quarters.
very near someone or something, especially after you have only seen them from a distance: come/get/go/move etc up close: · Brigit looked great from a distance, but when she came up close you could see that she wore a lot of make-up.· "All you have to do is to get up close," Woolley said, " and shoot straight."
a photograph taken from very near: · She brought the camera forward to get a close-up of the actor's face.in close-up (=from very near): · Each butterfly had been photographed in close-up so that you could see every detail.
to get nearer to someone or something to go or come nearer to a person, place, or thing: · As Kay got near the house she began to feel nervous.get near/close to: · We had been traveling for two hours and I knew that we must be getting close to Vancouver.get near/close enough to do something: · I couldn't get close enough to see what was happening.get nearer/closer (to something): · People were running for shelter. The hurricane was getting closer and closer.· Every day the Russian tanks were getting nearer to Berlin.
to move gradually closer to a person, place, or thing. Approach is more formal than get near and get close .: · The train slowed down as it started to approach the station.· We could hear footsteps approaching down the corridor.
if a group of people close in on someone or something, they gradually move closer to them from all sides so that they surround them in a threatening way: · Well-organized bands of rebels began to close in on the capital.· The divers were surrounded by three sharks which were rapidly closing in on them.· TV crews closed in on Geldof as soon as he stepped out of his car.
to gradually get nearer to a place - used especially in stories or descriptions of events: · As she neared her home she could see a light in the window.
written to move closer to something or someone: · The two men were talking, but as we drew near they turned and stared at us.· Madge drew a little nearer so that she could hear what he was saying.draw near to: · The rebels hoped that many of the government troops would join them when they drew near to the city.
to stay very near to someone or something: stay close/keep close to · While the eggs are hatching the mother bird stays close to the nest.stay close/keep close together · Once we're inside the cave, we must all keep close together. We don't want anyone to get lost.
if someone, especially a child, clings to you, they stay close to you all the time, especially because they lack confidence and depend on you too much: · It's quite common for a child to cling to his or her mother on the first day at school.· One of the girls was clinging to me all night at the disco. I just couldn't get rid of her.
to stay very close to the edge or surface of something, especially while moving along it: · The new road will stretch from Barcelona to the Adriatic, hugging the Mediterranean coast.· A row of tiny feeding fish were hugging the rock surface where I stood.· After Dunseverik, the path hugs the clifftop near Brebane Head.
to not go near to a person or place · You'd better not come near me. I've got a bad cold.· People didn't go anywhere near the place at night. They were frightened of ghosts.· Don't go too near the fire!
to never go near something or someone or to not go near them during a period of time, especially in order to avoid danger or trouble: · Stay away from the edge of the cliff.stay/keep well away from something/somebody: · If I were you I'd keep well away from him. He doesn't have a good reputation.
to not go too close to someone or something, especially because it might be dangerous or harmful to go near: · Police warned the public to keep their distance if they saw a man fitting this description.keep your distance from: · Stick to the paths, and make sure you keep your distance from nesting birds.
if you tell someone to keep back or stay back , you mean that they should not come nearer, especially because of possible danger: · Keep back, everyone! The tree may come down at any moment.keep/stay well back: · She lit the bonfire and told the children to stay well back.
when something happens, although it almost did not happen · "Can I speak to Tony please?" "Sorry, you've just missed him."· If you hurry you'll just catch the 9.30 bus.· I just made it to class on time.· At the moment we're just making enough money to cover our costs.just in time (=with very little time to spare) · We got to the station just in time.
if you barely do something, you succeed, although you almost fail: · The fog was so bad that we could barely see the road in front of us.· The staff here are barely coping with all the work.
also nearly didn't British · I saw him a week ago and I almost didn't recognize him, he'd lost so much weight.· My alarm clock is broken and I nearly didn't wake up in time this morning.
British /just barely American use this when you succeed in doing something, but you want to emphasize how close you were to failing: · It was a close game. Beverly beat me, but only just.· I could just barely hear him.· The paperwork was only just completed in time for the conference.· The train was late, and I just barely made it to the meeting on time.
: narrowly win/defeat/fail etc if you narrowly win, lose etc, you win or lose by a very small number of points, votes etc: · The bill was narrowly defeated in the Senate.· She narrowly failed to beat the world record in the 100 metres sprint.
British use this to say that something good happened, but it almost did not: · The Labour party won the election, but it was a very near thing.· He nearly died - it was a very close thing.
if you do something by the skin of your teeth , you succeed in doing it, but only by a very small amount of time, space etc: · The business is surviving, but only by the skin of its teeth.· The car broke down on the way to the airport and they just caught the plane by the skin of their teeth.
when something bad almost happened, but did not: narrowly avoid/miss/escape etc to avoid something unpleasant or dangerous, although you almost do not avoid it: · A black BMW swerved, narrowly missing another car.· He narrowly escaped arrest when the police raided his house.
British also close call American a situation in which something bad almost happens but does not: · A sniper's bullet went through the sleeve of his coat. It was a close shave but didn't even scratch him.· Joe breathed a sigh of relief as the guard passed on to the next cell: "That was a close call!"
spoken say this when you have managed to avoid something dangerous or unpleasant, but you almost did not: · Geez, that was close! Did you see that red car?
a situation in which something, especially a car or plane, almost hits something, but does not: · There were two near misses on the airport's runways between 1998 and 1999.· The asteroid flew within 106,000 miles of Earth, which astronomers considered a near miss.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY It was the nearest approximation to a crisis she’d ever experienced. The house is nearing completion (=almost finished). The building’s nowhere near finished. She’s nowhere near as pretty as you are.
· The hotel is near to the airport.
· The village is not far away.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES It was the nearest approximation to a crisis she’d ever experienced.· Ruth sat down in the nearest available armchair.
· One of the most important trials in recent history is nearing its climax today.
The house is nearing completion (=almost finished).· He damn near (=almost) drowned.
informal (=much less than you need) We only had $500, and that was nowhere near enough to buy a new camcorder.
We only had $500, and that was nowhere near enough to buy a new camcorder.· The corner store was the closest equivalent we had to a supermarket when I was young.
· Please leave the building in an orderly fashion, using the nearest exit.
(=being almost becoming extinct)· Wolves have returned to the forest, almost ten years after near extinction.
(=soon)· A new product launch is planned for the near future.
The building’s nowhere near finished. She’s nowhere near as pretty as you are.· His collection included an almost perfect skeleton of an armadillo.· Her performance was near perfect.
(=the one that is closest to beating them)· She finished 7.1 seconds ahead of her nearest rival.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· But he's much nearer than he was.· On 23 April the bombing came much nearer.· This could explain why we see some quasars much nearer than we would normally expect to see them.· Possibly, but the site of Clairvaux suggests an explanation much nearer at hand.· Yet state censorship has arguably come much nearer and become more sinister with the Spycatcher affair and the more recent Section 28.· If you'd wanted to go to church you could have gone to St Ermin's which is much nearer.· The answer was much nearer home.· The sounds came from the left this time and were much nearer.
NOUN· The purchaser should identify the need for an independent valuation as early as possible to avoid subsequent delay nearer completion.· This is despite the near completion of a £70,000 five year project set up to save the paths.
· It took a couple of near disasters to set me straight.· Once again, he had walked away from near disaster.
· Breakfast was laid on the floor at the near end of the room.· He had his private spot at the near end, where the bar curves into the wall.
· Unfortunately we have no vacancies at present nor do I anticipate any in the near future.· Rookie Andrew DeClercq might see something besides garbage-time minutes in the near future.· Fears about the threat of more deportations in the near future are believed to be behind the resistance to the police action.· He had the eerie, crystal-ball feeling that there would be another, newer, sadder sentence in the very near future.· Forget oil and land, water is where the most intractable disputes will arise in the near future.· Hope to see you one day in the near future.· Many of the new jobs being created now or in the near future are transient.· Thus, throughout these chapters there is an ominous foreboding of death to come in the near future.
· The nearest hospital is on the main island, and the boat comes only once or twice a day.· People who need cataract surgery are taken by bus to the nearest hospital for surgery, and returned home the next day.· On occasion we took them to the nearest hospital, but beds were not always available.· He promptly turned off the by-pass and headed for the nearest hospital.· She was rushed to the nearest hospital.· Dawn was taken immediately to the nearest hospital and put on a life-support machine in the Intensive Care Unit.· We were in the heart of the rainforest, a day's travel from the nearest hospital.
· Owen had, however, the sense of relief that follows a near miss.· None the less, we do have records of many near misses from relatively modern sources.· I was below, completely unaware of this near miss.· The little girl who had had the near miss with the blackboard was the daughter of a minister.· The near miss is exciting; even shocking.· Rarer are stories of near misses of Earth by cosmic projectiles.
· A fellow farmer and near neighbour in Duns, Ian was an enthusiastic amateur racing driver.· A near neighbour was recruited as a support worker and she too began to become involved in the family arguments.· The library of course was gutted, but Walker Books, a near neighbour of the school, is coming to the rescue.· The nearest neighbour, a farmer well into his seventies, was more than five miles and a range of low hills away.· Charlton Heston lived on the other side and Warren Beatty was also a near neighbour.· Does your nearest neighbour have a higher profile in the area?
· In those days, it was a community and most people knew their near neighbours well.· She was here alone with him, miles from the nearest neighbours.· The result was a network of 50,000 cortical points, each connected to its nearest neighbours by a line.· But the church's plans are not popular with the vicarage's nearest neighbours.
· Silvinho swung the ball in at pace to the near post, where Chris Armstrong glanced it into his own net.· Norbury crossed with an overhead kick and Dublin stabbed a close-range shot inside the near post.· The ball rolls slowly inside the near post.· Paul Bosvelt's cross to the near post appeared to be converted by Kluivert and was credited as such by the referee.· Palace spurned numerous chances before Coleman headed in Southgate's cross at the near post after 56 minutes.· Molby swung in the free-kick and Saunders met it perfectly with his head on the near post to score a spectacular goal.· Ripley beat Paul Parker on the left, cut inside and hit a low cross to the near post.
· Specially trained staff interviewed the parents or the nearest relative of any study child who died.· Also, as Sheila Silcock's article highlights, the nearest relative may be unaware of their rights under the Act.· The three woodpeckers are different from their nearest relatives in Java and Borneo.· Outside the compound of the bride's parents the processions were met by similar processional parties of near relatives of the bride.· Anything above this is divided between your spouse and parents or nearest relatives, like a brother.
· In January, polls showed Dole was leading his nearest rival by 23 percentage points.· Their hosts are Halstead's nearest rivals for survival.· With their nearest rival, Tesco, they've become far and away the most popular places to do the weekly shop.
· In total the maria cover some 16 % of the Moon's surface-mostly on the near side.· The near side of the Moon was thoroughly photographed and measured.· As the piston is pushed the near side opens and the air pressure closes the back flap.· Most of the near side of the Moon is bright, rough, high terrain, called the lunar highlands.· Cross to tarmac track on the far side of toilet block ahead, ignoring track on near side.· The near side will also appear to be thicker than the far side.
· In the near term, it does not intend to pay any dividends, instead ploughing all profits back.· To be competitive, Prodigy is working to achieve feature parity with other on-line services in the near term.· The solution has been to concentrate a lot of the debt relief in the near term.· In the near term, the outlook is mixed.
· A little bit of sleep was the nearest thing to consolation left for people like us.· So let us accept that I am the nearest thing to a father that Nana has available.· The Algonquin is the nearest thing I have to a home away from home.· A fast ride on a racing bicycle is the nearest thing in this world to man-powered flight.· Here was perhaps the nearest thing to alchemy that had ever been seen in the field of politics.· Still, as Jane belonged nowhere, Sussex became the nearest thing to home.
· It all seemed a thousand miles from the nearest town, though in actuality it might be only five or six.· We picked up the bodies of the two cops and took them to the nearest town.· He went into the nearest town and bought a proper shovel.· I had driven to Gondal, the nearest town, to make phone calls and have a wash.· From Calais to Albert, the nearest town to Thiepval, is but a two hour drive.· I offered to take them into the nearest town for tea.· Yet another amazing coincidence, to meet in such a small place more than 100 miles from the nearest town!· Internal flight to Poprad, the nearest town, then transport to point of access into the mountains.
· It stood some way from the nearest village on the road from Brünn to Olmütz.· The nearest village to Stenay is Baaion.· Christopher's potter friend lived in a farmhouse and the nearest village was called Bourg de Visa.· The nearest village was about five miles away.· We met one nomad driving 40 head of cattle in the baking sun, hours from the nearest village.· He then grabbed the reins and drove back along the road, leaving the wounded post-boy to stagger to the nearest village.· Then they set off over the fields for the nearest village, two miles away.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► to the nearest £10/hundred etc► a near disaster/collapse etcPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► not anything like/near► not anywhere near► near the knuckle► be at/near etc the end of your rope
1only a short distance away from someone or something: - The asteroid flew within 106,000 miles of Earth, which astronomers considered a near miss.
- There were two near misses on the airport's runways between 1998 and 1999.
- He had had numerous prangs and near misses in his motoring life and not one of them had been his fault.
- Julie Worden and Charlton Boyd meet in a skittish duet, marked by sudden departures, near misses and unexpected evasive leaps.
- None the less, we do have records of many near misses from relatively modern sources.
- Owen had, however, the sense of relief that follows a near miss.
- The little girl who had had the near miss with the blackboard was the daughter of a minister.
- There were lots of near misses: some great saves from both keepers, and sheer bad luck.
- They had a near miss on the Ober Gabelhorn summit.
- Thus near misses of comets and asteroids are well documented by modern observations, and grazing impacts also occur.
- Again, applications may be made by the nearest relative or an approved social worker and two medical recommendations are required.
- Also, as Sheila Silcock's article highlights, the nearest relative may be unaware of their rights under the Act.
- As the nearest relative, I have found the care team bound by rules of confidentiality which limit communication.
- Further protostome diversification led to a plexus of annelids, molluscs and near relatives.
- In 1357 he is required by statute to entrust the administration of the property to the near relations of the deceased.
- Specially trained staff interviewed the parents or the nearest relative of any study child who died.
- The informant was expected usually to be the person's nearest relative. 3.
- The three woodpeckers are different from their nearest relatives in Java and Borneo.
- I don't deal, not for anybody, not for my nearest and dearest.
- It will ensure that the memory of your wedding day will remain uppermost in the minds of your nearest and dearest.
- Novels may have changed, but dropping hints about your will remains a sure-fire way to annoy your nearest and dearest.
- Or heard yourself screaming in a high pitch while arguing fruitlessly with your nearest and dearest?
- Sentimental visits home were punctuated by heated and bitter political arguments with my nearest and dearest.
- She had come to this, to a limp white heap who had forgotten the names of her nearest and dearest.
- Those whose nearest and dearest suffer hearing loss are offered very little assistance to meet the situation!
- Which I most certainly am not, as nearest and dearest, and gangs of so-called friends will confirm.
- A little bit of sleep was the nearest thing to consolation left for people like us.
- Here was perhaps the nearest thing to alchemy that had ever been seen in the field of politics.
- I think she and Phil were the nearest thing to soccer hooligans that canoeing can produce.
- It was the nearest thing to a coherent defence system yet seen at Verdun.
- So let us accept that I am the nearest thing to a father that Nana has available.
- Still, as Jane belonged nowhere, Sussex became the nearest thing to home.
- That and the fact that it lost faith in the nearest thing to a charismatic it had had since Rose Fox.
- The United Nations General Assembly has been called the nearest thing to a world parliament.
- I don't anticipate that happening in the near future.
- A very limited selection of wines is available; one hopes that this will be expanded in the near future.
- Already regional water shortages are causing disruptions and are predicted to become the cause of wars in the near future.
- Conditions might mature in the near future.
- Hopefully that will get settled in the near future.
- I think you certainly aim for that some time, maybe in the near future, but not quite yet.
- I was hoping that Vecchi would show up in the near future and save everybody a lot of headaches.
- The prudent ratio depends very much on how banks see their requirements for liquidity changing in the near future.
- Unfortunately we have no trainee vacancies at present, nor do I anticipate any in the near future.
- The Cairo Conference was a near thing for her.
- At times, the similarities are too close for comfort, edging towards the derivative.
- But our last memory was of a nightingale pair, singing in competition in territories perhaps too close for comfort.
- Cross-addictions may be hotly denied because the subject matter may for some be too close for comfort.
- In a wave trough I caught a glimpse of a coral head to port: a little too close for comfort.
- Lightning dipped and veered in a manner which was far too close for comfort.
- Richard, and you quite see why, finds economy airline seats too close for comfort.
- The movement brought him too close for comfort.
- As the habeas hearing drew near, Lancaster County officials' concern over these revelations grew noticeable.
- As the pair drew near he turned and fled.
- As the race drew closer it was time for Paul to take a back seat.
- As we drew near and I watched 747 after 747 climbing laboriously into the clouds, I wondered what fate befell me.
- Men prosper for a decade, and demons dare not draw near!
- The bailiff directed all to draw near and give their attendance, promising that they would be heard.
- They drew near the bed and stared down at the boy who lay there sleeping in its drifts of tumbling lace.
- Two young boys, of around ten years of age, drawing closer, then parallel, now swiftly passing, past.
- At noon they saw it; then they were near enough to hear it.
- Filmer had been sitting with his back to me, it was true, but near enough to overhear.
- He is near enough to hear them calling, the words bounced and steered and elongated by the contours of the land.
- Jones and Brewer have had a long series of injuries, but both are near enough to fitness and form.
- No one was near enough to accost her or wonder about her presence.
- The Trojans were almost near enough to set the ships on fire.
- When he saw me, he leaned on his shovel until I was near enough to shake hands.
- At Mallia, a similarly designed suite was located in the north-west corner of the temple.
- The bulk of the world's rainforests, 97 percent, are located in 27 developing countries.
- The four metropolitan areas with the highest rents were located in California: San Jose, $ 1, 330.
- The three theaters are located in the center of town.
- When you get an office, you will be located in a business world.
- While the industrial sector remained small in real terms, much industrial production continued to be located in rural areas.
- After eight hours climbing, we were still nowhere near the top of the mountain.
- The car was parked in the middle of the street, nowhere near the curb.
It’s a beautiful house but it’s 20 miles away from the nearest town. We can meet at the pub or in the restaurant, whichever’s nearer for you.GRAMMAR: Patterns with near• You usually use near as a preposition. You say: · The hotel is near the airport.• You can also say: · The hotel is near to the airport. ✗Don’t say: near from the airport• Near is not usually used on its own as an adjective. You don’t usually say ‘The village is near.’ You usually say: · The village is not far away.• You use nearby before a noun: · We went to a nearby park. ✗Don’t say: We went to a near park.• You can use the forms nearer and nearest as adjectives: · My house is nearer.• You can use nearest before a noun: · They headed for the nearest beach.Grammar guide ‒ ADJECTIVES2a near disaster/collapse etc almost a disaster, collapse etc: The election was a near disaster for the Conservative party.3the nearest thing/equivalent to something the thing you have that is most like a particular type of thing: He’s the nearest thing to a father I’ve got.4in the near future soon: They promised to contact us again in the near future.5be a near thing British English a)if something you succeed in doing is a near thing, you manage to succeed but you nearly failed: They won the championship, but it was a near thing. b)used to say that you just managed to avoid a dangerous or unpleasant situation: That was a near thing – that truck was heading straight for us.6near miss a)when a bomb, plane, car etc nearly hits something but does not: a near miss between two passenger aircraft over the airport b)a situation in which something almost happens, or someone almost achieves something7 to the nearest £10/hundred etc an amount to the nearest £10, hundred etc is the number nearest to it that can be divided by £10, a hundred etc: Give me the car mileage to the nearest thousand.8a) near relative/relation a relative who is very closely related to you such as a parent: The death of a near relative is a terrible trauma for a child. b) somebody’s nearest and dearest someone’s family – used humorously9[only before noun, no comparative] a)used to describe the side of something that is closest to where you are: the near bank of the river b) British English used when talking about the parts of a vehicle to mean the one that is closest to the side of the road when you drive OPP off: The headlight on the near side isn’t working. → nearly—nearness noun [uncountable]near1 adverb, prepositionnear2 adjectivenear3 verb
nearnear3 ●●○ verb written VERB TABLE
near
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | near |
| he, she, it | nears | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | neared |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have neared |
| he, she, it | has neared | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had neared |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will near |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have neared |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am nearing |
| he, she, it | is nearing | |
| you, we, they | are nearing | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was nearing |
| you, we, they | were nearing | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been nearing |
| he, she, it | has been nearing | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been nearing |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be nearing |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been nearing |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- As she neared her home she could see a light in the window.
- As the deadline neared, both sides agreed to continue talking.
- Nevins is nearing 40 but still looks boyish.
- Work is nearing completion.
- Or it may be that the race is in fact tightening up as the Nov. 5 Election Day nears.
- She neared the exit with relief.
- The Worth Valley Railway's standard class four 2-6-4T 80002 nears completion.
- Then, as we neared home again, I noticed Iobates' bodyguard hiding in ambush.
- When the temperature nears 100, pets can get overheated even when riding in air-conditioned cars.
Longman Language Activatornot far away
only a short distance from a person, place, or thing: · We camped in a forest near a large lake.· Don't go near the fire.· Have you ever been to Versailles? It's near Paris.· The place where we were going was much nearer than I thought.near enough to do something: · Bob was standing near enough to hear what they were saying.nearer to something/nearest to something: · If we moved to Dallas we'd be nearer to my parents.· Only the people who were nearest to the speaker could actually hear what he said.near here: · The accident happened somewhere near here.
very near to something or someone, or almost touching them: · As we approached Abbeville, the gunfire sounded very close.close to: · Don't drive so close to the edge of the road.close behind/beside: · Suddenly we heard footsteps close behind us.close together: · The houses were built very close together, and the gardens were rather small.· Nancy came over and sat close beside me on the bed.close by (=near where you are): · Is there a gas station close by?
used to say that something is quite near something or someone: a short distance away: · I'd parked my car a short distance away, just around the corner.a short distance from: · Harvard University is only a short distance from the center of Boston.a short distance to the south/north etc: · The source of the river is a short distance to the south of here.
not a very long distance away - use this about somewhere that is near enough to be easy to get to: · "How far's the station?" "Oh, not far - about ten minutes by car."not far from: · Asti is not far from the French border.not far away: · Our hotel was in the centre of town but the beach wasn't far away.
near the place where you are or the place you are talking about: · Dave, who was sitting nearby, laughed when he heard this.· The house is really nice, and a lot of my friends live nearby.· It was very convenient having the garage nearby.
British /neighboring American a neighbouring country, town, area etc is near the place where you are or the place you are talking about: · The fair attracted thousands of people from neighbouring areas.· Soldiers and firemen from 13 neighboring towns wrestled with the blaze for hours.
formal in the area around and near a particular place: · A white van was seen in the vicinity at about the time when the murder took place.in the vicinity of: · In the past ten years there have been more cases of cancer in the vicinity of nuclear installations.
near where you live a local store, hospital etc is in the area where you live and that you are most likely to use: · Volunteers like Joyce go round local schools helping children with their reading problems.somebody's local school/cinema etc: · You can find all these books in your local library.· Polzeath is our local beach, but there are better surfing beaches further away.
informal very near the place where you live: · We're very lucky to have the park right on our doorstep.· Homelessness is a problem that too many people ignore. Yet it's happening on our own doorstep.
informal near the place where you live - use this especially when talking about something that you do not want there: · Most people want the new airport so long as it isn't in their own backyard.
easy to get to if a place is within walking distance , it is not far away, and you can walk there easily: · There are several good restaurants within walking distance.within walking/driving etc distance of: · Dr Goldthorpe lived within walking distance of the University.within easy walking etc distance (of something): · Fortunately the house that we were renting was within easy driving distance of the shops.
near enough to a town or place for you to get there without too much difficulty: within reach of: · It was just lucky that we were within reach of a hospital.within easy reach (=near enough to get to easily): · Around Salzburg there are literally dozens of exciting places to visit -- all within easy reach.
British also convenient to something American if your home, office etc is convenient for or handy for a particular place, that place is near it and easy to reach: · The place where we live now is very convenient for the school - it's only a couple of minutes on foot.· My husband works in London so we're looking for a house that's handy for the station. · We found an apartment convenient to campus and public transportation.
also round the corner British not far away, especially in the streets of a town: · "Is there a bank near here?" "Sure, it's just around the corner."· She won't be long, she's only gone round the corner.around the corner from: · We met in a bar just around the corner from my apartment.
if a building or person is close at hand , they are very near and therefore available in case you need them: · The Exhibition Centre is a great day out, with plenty of parking and all the attractions of Manchester close at hand.· I'm very glad that, when my children were small, my mother was always close at hand.
if you say it's no distance , you mean that a place is not far away and is therefore easy to get to: · We come up here regularly from London; it's no distance. it's no distance from: · It's no distance from here to Fifth Avenue. We can easily walk it.
if one place is a stone's throw from another place, it is only a very short distance from it, so that it is easy to get to: · I was born in Wembley, a stone's throw from the football stadium!only a stone's throw from something: · Stanford Hospital is only a stone's throw from where I live.within a stone's throw of something: · The river's within a stone's throw of our apartment - we can see it from the window.
the nearest house/shop/station etc the nearest shop, station etc that is closest to where you are: · Excuse me, where's the nearest subway station?
the next house, street etc that is closest to the one you are in or the one you are talking about: · The people in the next apartment were making a lot of noise.· I had to move the car. It's just around the corner in the next street.
the fact of being near: nearness/closeness to · The price of villas varies considerably, according to their facilities and their nearness to the sea.· Some of the people took advantage of their village's closeness to the border and made profits from smuggling.
formal nearness: proximity to: · San Francisco has a significant immigrant population because of its proximity to Asia.proximity of: · The proximity of schools, stores, hospitals, and so on is an important factor when purchasing a house.
near enough to pick up/touch/hit if something is handy , it is near enough for you to pick up and use quickly and easily: keep/have something handy: · Make sure you keep your passport and ticket handy.· A lot of people in the States have a gun handy at night and when they travel.
if something is within reach , it is near enough for you to take hold of or touch when you stretch out your hand: · As soon as she was within reach he grabbed her wrist.within easy reach: · Roy pulled the ashtray towards him so that it was within easy reach.within somebody's reach: · At this exploratory stage, small children will want to touch anything you leave within their reach.
if something is within range , it is near enough for you to attack it or for a weapon to reach it: · Once its prey is within range, the snake's head shoots forward to attack.within range of: · The village is well within range of the rockets which are being fired.come within range of something: · A day later, the "Tiger" convoy came within range of air attack.
a gun fired point-blank is fired very close to the person or thing it is aimed at: · The men broke into the building at the dead of night, and shot their victims point-blank as they slept.
near enough to see or hear clearly very near, especially so that you can see something clearly: · If you look at the painting close up you can see that it's a fake.close up to: · Dragging a chair close up to the television screen, she sat down to watch the film.
if you see or experience something at close quarters , often something dangerous or frightening, you are closer to it than usual, especially so that you can see it clearly: · From our hiding place we were able to observe the animals at close quarters.· This was the first time I had seen such poverty at close quarters.
very near someone or something, especially after you have only seen them from a distance: come/get/go/move etc up close: · Brigit looked great from a distance, but when she came up close you could see that she wore a lot of make-up.· "All you have to do is to get up close," Woolley said, " and shoot straight."
a photograph taken from very near: · She brought the camera forward to get a close-up of the actor's face.in close-up (=from very near): · Each butterfly had been photographed in close-up so that you could see every detail.
to get nearer to someone or something to go or come nearer to a person, place, or thing: · As Kay got near the house she began to feel nervous.get near/close to: · We had been traveling for two hours and I knew that we must be getting close to Vancouver.get near/close enough to do something: · I couldn't get close enough to see what was happening.get nearer/closer (to something): · People were running for shelter. The hurricane was getting closer and closer.· Every day the Russian tanks were getting nearer to Berlin.
to move gradually closer to a person, place, or thing. Approach is more formal than get near and get close .: · The train slowed down as it started to approach the station.· We could hear footsteps approaching down the corridor.
if a group of people close in on someone or something, they gradually move closer to them from all sides so that they surround them in a threatening way: · Well-organized bands of rebels began to close in on the capital.· The divers were surrounded by three sharks which were rapidly closing in on them.· TV crews closed in on Geldof as soon as he stepped out of his car.
to gradually get nearer to a place - used especially in stories or descriptions of events: · As she neared her home she could see a light in the window.
written to move closer to something or someone: · The two men were talking, but as we drew near they turned and stared at us.· Madge drew a little nearer so that she could hear what he was saying.draw near to: · The rebels hoped that many of the government troops would join them when they drew near to the city.
to stay very near to someone or something: stay close/keep close to · While the eggs are hatching the mother bird stays close to the nest.stay close/keep close together · Once we're inside the cave, we must all keep close together. We don't want anyone to get lost.
if someone, especially a child, clings to you, they stay close to you all the time, especially because they lack confidence and depend on you too much: · It's quite common for a child to cling to his or her mother on the first day at school.· One of the girls was clinging to me all night at the disco. I just couldn't get rid of her.
to stay very close to the edge or surface of something, especially while moving along it: · The new road will stretch from Barcelona to the Adriatic, hugging the Mediterranean coast.· A row of tiny feeding fish were hugging the rock surface where I stood.· After Dunseverik, the path hugs the clifftop near Brebane Head.
to not go near to a person or place · You'd better not come near me. I've got a bad cold.· People didn't go anywhere near the place at night. They were frightened of ghosts.· Don't go too near the fire!
to never go near something or someone or to not go near them during a period of time, especially in order to avoid danger or trouble: · Stay away from the edge of the cliff.stay/keep well away from something/somebody: · If I were you I'd keep well away from him. He doesn't have a good reputation.
to not go too close to someone or something, especially because it might be dangerous or harmful to go near: · Police warned the public to keep their distance if they saw a man fitting this description.keep your distance from: · Stick to the paths, and make sure you keep your distance from nesting birds.
if you tell someone to keep back or stay back , you mean that they should not come nearer, especially because of possible danger: · Keep back, everyone! The tree may come down at any moment.keep/stay well back: · She lit the bonfire and told the children to stay well back.
almost a number, time, or amount use this to say that something is a little less than a number or amount, or a little before a particular time. Almost and nearly have the same meaning, but almost is much more common than nearly in American English. In British English both words are common: · I've been a teacher for nearly 10 years now.· We had money and almost $1000 in traveler's checks.· John is three years old and Sally is almost six.very nearly: · It's very nearly time to go home.
use this when you want to emphasize that something is a little less than a number or amount, or a little before a particular time: · "Is he 60?" "Not quite!"· It's not quite time to go yet.
also close on British almost a particular number, amount, especially a surprisingly large one, or almost a particular time, especially a very late time: · The government spends close to $100 billion a year on education.· There must be close to a hundred people in the hall.· We drove close on 500 miles Saturday.· It was close on midnight by the time they got home.
almost a particular number, amount, time etc, and still increasing or getting nearer to that number, amount, time etc: · In the North East, the unemployment rate is now nearing 20 percent.be fast approaching (=very nearly a particular time): · By now the winter was fast approaching, and further travel would soon be inadvisable.
British informal to be almost a particular time, age, or period of time: it's getting on for something: · It's getting on for 10 years since we last saw each other.· It must be getting on for lunch time. I'm starving.somebody is getting on for 40, 50 etc (=use this when guessing an older person's age): · "How old's Diane?" "She must be getting on for 50."
informal to be almost forty, fifty etc - use this when you are guessing an older person's age : · Burt's probably pushing 50 by now.
when you have almost done something or something has almost happened · I've almost finished reading the newspaper.· It was early 1945, and the war had nearly ended.
especially spoken not completely or exactly, but almost - use this when the difference is not important: · Hanson's acting career appears to be pretty much over.· I had more or less convinced her that I was telling the truth.
almost completely: · Communist parties have practically disappeared in Europe.· Mexico's rainforest has been virtually destroyed.
not completely, but almost - use this to say that something has not happened, but that it almost has: not quite done/finished etc: · She hasn't quite finished her homework yet.· Give me five minutes - I'm not quite ready.
: all but over/finished/done very nearly finished or done: · By now the war was all but over.· "Can we go home now?" "Just one moment - I've all but finished my work."
almost at or in a particular situation, especially an extreme one: · The police describe the situation as approaching crisis proportions.· Dr Dunstable was in a state nearing nervous collapse.· I felt close to tears as I read Vera's letter.
to be very close to an extremely bad situation: · The two countries are on the brink of war.be on the verge of tears/death/hysteria etc: · Kerry is on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES It was the nearest approximation to a crisis she’d ever experienced. The house is nearing completion (=almost finished). The building’s nowhere near finished. She’s nowhere near as pretty as you are.
It was the nearest approximation to a crisis she’d ever experienced.· Ruth sat down in the nearest available armchair.
· One of the most important trials in recent history is nearing its climax today.
The house is nearing completion (=almost finished).· He damn near (=almost) drowned.
informal (=much less than you need) We only had $500, and that was nowhere near enough to buy a new camcorder.
We only had $500, and that was nowhere near enough to buy a new camcorder.· The corner store was the closest equivalent we had to a supermarket when I was young.
· Please leave the building in an orderly fashion, using the nearest exit.
(=being almost becoming extinct)· Wolves have returned to the forest, almost ten years after near extinction.
(=soon)· A new product launch is planned for the near future.
The building’s nowhere near finished. She’s nowhere near as pretty as you are.· His collection included an almost perfect skeleton of an armadillo.· Her performance was near perfect.
(=the one that is closest to beating them)· She finished 7.1 seconds ahead of her nearest rival.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· So, too, do those people in towns who have the misfortune to live near the wrong warehouse.· For example, even those who did live near their kin did not see them especially often.· Airports attract hotels and businesses; they employ large numbers of well-paid staff who like to live near their work.· Such risk assessment is sometimes complicated by the pressure from relatives who do not live near.· Parents and children will live near to other relatives or even share a house with them.
· The alliance is now nearing a series of big decisions.· The rolling infantry battle was now nearing the edge of the plateau.· The number of known NEAs of all sizes is now nearing four hundred.
NOUN· It is more likely that it was an old, sick or diseased specimen that was nearing the end of its life.· One such plan was widely discussed as the decade neared its end.· Redundancies have by no means been restricted to those nearing the end of their careers or whose job performance has been subject to criticism.· Is he nearing the end of his career?· A railcoach from Bispham nearing the end of its journey to the Airport at Squires Gate in 1960. 3.· That work is nearing an end now.· Sir Galahad nearing the end of his quest.· Hubbell is nearing the end of a 21-month federal sentence.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► not anything like/near► not anywhere near► near the knuckle► be at/near etc the end of your rope
1[transitive] to come closer to a place SYN approach: - At times, the similarities are too close for comfort, edging towards the derivative.
- But our last memory was of a nightingale pair, singing in competition in territories perhaps too close for comfort.
- Cross-addictions may be hotly denied because the subject matter may for some be too close for comfort.
- In a wave trough I caught a glimpse of a coral head to port: a little too close for comfort.
- Lightning dipped and veered in a manner which was far too close for comfort.
- Richard, and you quite see why, finds economy airline seats too close for comfort.
- The movement brought him too close for comfort.
- As the habeas hearing drew near, Lancaster County officials' concern over these revelations grew noticeable.
- As the pair drew near he turned and fled.
- As the race drew closer it was time for Paul to take a back seat.
- As we drew near and I watched 747 after 747 climbing laboriously into the clouds, I wondered what fate befell me.
- Men prosper for a decade, and demons dare not draw near!
- The bailiff directed all to draw near and give their attendance, promising that they would be heard.
- They drew near the bed and stared down at the boy who lay there sleeping in its drifts of tumbling lace.
- Two young boys, of around ten years of age, drawing closer, then parallel, now swiftly passing, past.
- At noon they saw it; then they were near enough to hear it.
- Filmer had been sitting with his back to me, it was true, but near enough to overhear.
- He is near enough to hear them calling, the words bounced and steered and elongated by the contours of the land.
- Jones and Brewer have had a long series of injuries, but both are near enough to fitness and form.
- No one was near enough to accost her or wonder about her presence.
- The Trojans were almost near enough to set the ships on fire.
- When he saw me, he leaned on his shovel until I was near enough to shake hands.
- At Mallia, a similarly designed suite was located in the north-west corner of the temple.
- The bulk of the world's rainforests, 97 percent, are located in 27 developing countries.
- The four metropolitan areas with the highest rents were located in California: San Jose, $ 1, 330.
- The three theaters are located in the center of town.
- When you get an office, you will be located in a business world.
- While the industrial sector remained small in real terms, much industrial production continued to be located in rural areas.
- After eight hours climbing, we were still nowhere near the top of the mountain.
- The car was parked in the middle of the street, nowhere near the curb.
She began to feel nervous as she neared the house. The ship was nearing the harbour.2[transitive] to come closer to being in a particular state: The work is nearing completion. He’s 55 now, and nearing retirement.3[transitive] to come closer to a particular time: He was nearing the end of his stay in India.4[intransitive] if a time nears, it gets closer and will come soon: He got more and more nervous as the day of his departure neared.