nigh
/nʌɪ
/adverb, preposition, & adjective
1 archaic or literary Near: [as adjective]: the end is nigh [as adverb]: they drew nigh unto the city...
- Thus, my look and in depth coverage of Roman cuisine draws nigh to a close.
- I suppose time will tell what happens as the date draws nigh.
- But with Election Day drawing nigh once more, guess who is promising what once again?
2Almost: [as adverb]: a car weighing nigh on two tons...
- I think it is nigh on impossible to remove religious teaching from the classroom (at least for the foreseeable future).
- The only thing close to getting the media coverage that race relations has been getting for nigh on two months was what to do about superannuation.
- The third, John, hasn't seen the other two for nigh on 20 years, having started a family and taken on the responsibilities that go with it.
Synonyms
well-nigh, almost, nearly, just about, more or less, practically, virtually, all but, as good as, next to, close to, near, to all intents and purposes, approaching, bordering on, verging on, nearing, about;
roughly, approximately;
not quite
informal pretty nearly, pretty much, pretty well
Origin
Old English nēh, nēah, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch na, German nah. Compare with near.