near
near
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "near" is /nɪər/.
/nɪər/
/n/ - voiced alveolar nasal
/ɪə/ - centering diphthong (as in "here")
/r/ - voiced alveolar approximant
Word Form Variations
Adjective:
near (positive)
nearer (comparative)
nearest (superlative)
Adverb:
near
nearer
nearest
Verb:
near (base form, present tense, plural)
nears (present tense, singular)
neared (past tense, past participle)
nearing (present participle, gerund)
Preposition:
near
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Adjective
Definition 1: Located or existing a short distance in space or time; not far off.
Synonyms: close, adjacent, proximate, contiguous
Antonyms: far, distant, remote, separated
Definition 2: Closely resembling or approaching a specified state or condition; almost.
Synonyms: close, similar, approximate, bordering
Antonyms: exact, precise, distinct, different
Adverb
Definition 1: To or at a short distance in space or time.
Synonyms: closely, nearby, approximately, almost
Antonyms: far, distantly, remotely
Verb
Definition 1: To approach or come close to a particular point in space, time, or condition.
Synonyms: approach, draw close, converge, approximate
Antonyms: recede, withdraw, depart, diverge
Preposition
Definition 1: In close proximity to; beside or next to.
Synonyms: close to, beside, by, alongside
Antonyms: far from, away from
Examples of Use
Books:
"The air grew thick with unspoken words, a silent tension that suggested a storm was near." (From The Giver by Lois Lowry, 1993)
"He spent hours in the library, poring over ancient texts, feeling a strange kinship with the scholars who had worked there near centuries ago."
Newspapers:
"Local authorities issued a warning as wildfires continued to burn near the national park, prompting evacuations in several communities." (Associated Press)
"Economists suggest that the country is near a recession, with several key indicators showing significant decline."
Online Publications:
"The new AI model is designed to provide results that are near human-level accuracy in complex language tasks." (TechCrunch)
"A recent study found that eating dinner too near bedtime can negatively impact sleep quality." (Healthline)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film: "Don't come any nearer!" (Dialogue from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring)
Music: "And here we are, near the end of the road." (Lyrics from "End of the Road" by Boyz II Men)
Video Games: In The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, a character might say, "Beware, a strong enemy is near." (Nintendo)
Podcasts: "In this episode, we explore the historical events that happened near the turn of the 20th century."
General Public Discourse:
"Could you move that chair a bit nearer to the table?"
"My birthday is getting pretty near now, I should start planning."
"We live near the school, so my kids can walk."
"The project is near completion, just a few final touches left."
10 Quotes Using Near
"The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea." (Isak Dinesen, Seven Gothic Tales, 1934) (While not directly using "near", this quote is often associated with the calming influence of being near the sea.)
"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." (Semisonic, "Closing Time" lyrics, 1998) (This quote often evokes the idea of one phase being near its conclusion as another begins.)
"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." (Thomas A. Edison, attributed) (This quote implies that success might be very near despite numerous attempts.)
"That which does not kill us makes us stronger." (Friedrich Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols, 1889) (This can imply surviving an experience that brought one near to breaking.)
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." (Franklin D. Roosevelt, Inaugural Address, March 4, 1933) (This quote suggests that the greatest obstacle is internal, even when danger seems near.)
"Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer." (Sun Tzu, The Art of War, attributed) (This proverb directly instructs one to keep enemies near.)
"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." (Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Self-Reliance," 1841) (This can be interpreted as resisting external pressures even when they come near to swaying you.)
"When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on." (Franklin D. Roosevelt, attributed) (This suggests perseverance when one is near giving up.)
"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." (Eleanor Roosevelt, You Learn by Living, 1960) (This implies that realizing dreams might be near for those with faith.)
"And when you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you." (Friedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil, 1886) (This implies a deep, perhaps unsettling, connection or proximity to something profound, as if the abyss is near.)
Etymology
The word "near" has a fascinating journey through the history of the English language!
Think of it like this: originally, in Old English (the language spoken in England before the Norman Conquest, roughly 5th to 11th centuries), we had the word "nēah," which meant "nigh" or simply "close."
Now, imagine that "nēah" had different forms for "closer" and "closest," just like we have "tall," "taller," and "tallest" today. The word for "closer" in Old English was nēar.
So, the first known meaning of what became "near" was "closer" or "nearer" – it was actually a comparative form, implying a greater degree of closeness than just "nēah" (nigh). It wasn't until around the middle of the 13th century (in Middle English) that "near" started to be used on its own to mean just "close" or "not far away," like we use it today.
Interestingly, the word "next" also comes from this same family! It was originally nīehsta, the Old English word for "closest" (the superlative form of "nēah").
Over time, "nigh," "near," and "next" started to be seen as separate words rather than just different forms of the same word. "Near" took over many of the jobs that "nigh" used to do, though "nigh" isn't completely gone and still appears in some older phrases.
The ultimate root of "near" can be traced back even further to a very old language called Proto-Germanic (the ancestor of English, German, Dutch, etc.), where it was something like *nēhw (meaning "near" or "close"). And even before that, it's thought to come from a Proto-Indo-European root, which is the reconstructed ancestor of many European and Indian languages.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Near
Near and dear: Of great importance or affection to someone.
Near miss: An incident where a disaster or collision was narrowly avoided.
Near future: The time period that is not far off; soon.
Near enough: Approximately correct or sufficient.
To come near: To approach or be close to.
Nowhere near: Not at all close to; far from.
Near to tears: Very close to crying.
Near completion: Almost finished.
Near perfect: Almost without flaws.
Near as dammit: (British informal) Very nearly; almost.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of near from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
