What does "nearly" mean?

In close approximation; almost, virtually.

What is a synonym for "nearly"?

Common synonyms include: almost, virtually, give or take, a bit, a little, a little bit.

//ˈnɪəlɪ// adv

adv ·Moderate ·College level

Adverb

1
In close approximation; almost, virtually.
"He left a nearly full beer on the bar."
2
With great scrutiny; carefully. archaic
"And whosoever hath traced mee and nearely [translating de pres] looked into my humours, Ile loose a good wager if hee confesse not that there is no rule in their schoole, could, a midde such crooked pathes and divers windings, square and report this naturall motion, and maintaine an apparance of liberty and licence so equall and inflexible […]."
3
With close relation; intimately.
"Let that which he learns next be nearly conjoined with what he knows already."
4
Closely, in close proximity.
"I doubt some danger do's approach you neerely."
5
Stingily.

Adverb

1
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but wordnet
2
in a close manner wordnet

"When I ask people what they regret most about high school, they nearly all say the same thing: that they wasted so much time."

From near + -ly. Cognate with Scots nerelie, neirlie (“nearly”). Compare also English nearling, nearlings.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.