almost
It's almost 5 o'clock.
The time is very close to 5 o'clock.
very close to; not quite
She almost missed the train.
She was very close to missing the train but did not.
The project is almost complete.
The project is very close to being finished.
Used to indicate something is very near in time, amount, or degree but not quite reached.
Collocations
Antonyms
Pro Tip
Positioning in Sentences
'Almost' usually comes before the word it modifies. For verbs, place it before the main verb or after 'have/has/had' if used with a past participle: 'I almost forgot' or 'I have almost finished'.
Gold Rule
Avoid 'almost + noun'
Incorrect: 'almost the cake'. Correct: 'almost all the cake' or 'nearly the whole cake'.
Word Origin
From Old English 'eallmǣst', meaning 'entirely most' (eall 'all' + mǣst 'most'). The sense of 'very close to' developed later.
Usage Notes
'Almost' is an adverb and typically modifies verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. It cannot modify nouns directly (use 'almost all' or 'nearly all' instead).