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near
/nɪər/
close in distance or time
The store is near my house.
The store is close to my house.
general
close in distance or time
She lives near the park.
She lives close to the park.
The deadline is near.
The deadline is approaching soon.
Can be used as an adjective, adverb, or preposition.
informal
almost, but not quite
He was near tears after the news.
He was almost crying after the news.
Used to describe a state that is very close to happening.
Collocations
near the topclose to the top positionnear the endclose to the conclusionnear missa situation that almost happened but didn't
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Adjective vs. Adverb
'Near' can be an adjective (e.g., 'the near future') or an adverb (e.g., 'stand near').
Gold Rule
Prepositional Use
When used as a preposition, 'near' is followed by a noun (e.g., 'near the station').
Word Origin
From Middle English 'nere,' from Old English 'nēah,' meaning 'near, close, adjacent.' Related to Old High German 'nāh' and Old Norse 'nær.'
Usage Notes
Can function as an adjective (e.g., 'the near future'), adverb (e.g., 'stand near'), or preposition (e.g., 'near the door').
Word Breakdown
near
close in distance or time
rootEnglish Dictionary