nearly

nearly — adverb

1. very close to a particular state or result, without fully reaching it.

1.adverbA2
Definition

very close to a particular state or result, without fully reaching it.

Example

The train was nearly full when Asher found a seat near the door.

nearly + adjective (full)

By the time the ambulance arrived, the elderly woman had nearly lost consciousness.

nearly + past participle

Common collocations
  • nearly finished
  • nearly ready
  • nearly died
  • nearly everyone
  • nearly all
Synonyms
  • almost

    interchangeable in most positive contexts but 'almost' also works before negatives ('almost no one').

  • practically

    informal; often used to exaggerate how close something is ('practically finished' even when not quite).

  • virtually

    more formal; suggests something is effectively true even if not 100% technically true.

Antonyms
  • completely

    the opposite end of the scale — fully reaching the state rather than approaching it.

  • entirely

    without any exception or shortfall.

Grammar Patterns

nearly + adjective

nearly + verb

nearly + enough + noun

Usage Note

Unlike 'almost', 'nearly' is rarely used before negative words like 'no', 'nobody', 'nothing', or 'never'. For those cases, use 'almost' instead (e.g., 'almost no one came').

Common Mistakes

I have nearly no money left.
I have almost no money left.
'nearly' does not usually appear before negative words like 'no', 'never', or 'nobody'; use 'almost' in those positions.

2. used in negative comparisons to emphasize that one thing has a quality to a far

2.adverbB1
Definition

used in negative comparisons to emphasize that one thing has a quality to a far smaller degree than another thing.

Example

This year's sales figures are not nearly as high as last year's.

not nearly as + adjective + as

The second film was not nearly so entertaining as the first one.

Common collocations
  • not nearly as good
  • not nearly so
  • not nearly as much
  • not nearly as important
Synonyms
  • far from

    similar meaning but takes a different grammatical structure ('far from being as good').

  • nowhere near

    informal and more emphatic ('nowhere near as good').

  • nothing like

    informal; suggests a complete lack of similarity in degree.

Grammar Patterns

not nearly as/so + adjective/adverb + as

Usage Note

Always requires a preceding 'not'. The structure compares two things using 'as...as' (or 'so...as' in more formal British English). The second part of the comparison can be implied when the context is clear.

Common Mistakes

This cake is nearly as good as that one.' (meaning it is worse)
This cake is not nearly as good as that one.
For the meaning of 'much less', you must include 'not'. Without 'not', 'nearly as good' means 'almost as good'.

3. used with 'enough' and a negative to say that the amount or degree of something

3.adverbB1
Definition

used with 'enough' and a negative to say that the amount or degree of something is far below what is necessary or expected.

Example

The charity received donations, but it was not nearly enough to cover the flood relief costs.

not nearly enough + to-infinitive

Tariro complained that the salary offered was not nearly enough for a family of four.

not nearly enough + for + noun phrase

Common collocations
  • not nearly enough time
  • not nearly enough money
  • not nearly enough space
  • not nearly enough food
Synonyms
Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

not nearly enough + noun

not nearly enough + to-infinitive

not nearly enough + for + noun phrase

Usage Note

Always appears in negative form: 'not nearly enough'. Compare with sense 1, where 'nearly enough' (without 'not') means 'almost enough'. The difference in meaning is complete opposite depending on the presence of 'not'.

Common Mistakes

The food was nearly enough for ten people.' (meaning almost enough)
The food was not nearly enough for ten people.
'nearly enough' alone means 'almost enough' (sense 1); add 'not' to express 'far too little' (sense 3). These are near-opposites.
Idioms

not nearly

idiom

Used to say that something is much less than expected or needed.

The cake was not nearly as sweet as I hoped.

Do you have enough money? No, not nearly enough.

pretty nearly

idiom

Used to say that something is almost complete or almost true.

Maya has pretty nearly finished her homework.

Is the project done? Yes, pretty nearly.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

All four words express closeness to a value or state, but they differ in where they can appear and in tone. 'Almost' and 'nearly' are nearly identical in positive contexts, but only 'almost' can go before negative words ('almost no one', 'almost never'). 'Practically' is the most informal and often exaggerates—someone might say 'practically finished' when only halfway done. 'Virtually' carries a formal tone and suggests that for all practical purposes something is true, even if a technical exception exists. 'Roughly' is only used with numbers and quantities ('roughly 50 people'), never with states of completion. If you are writing for a general audience and the following word is positive, 'nearly' or 'almost' both work. Before a negative, choose 'almost'. In casual speech, 'practically' adds a natural, conversational feel.

almost ↗practically ↗virtually ↗roughly ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

Phrases

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Formed in Middle English by adding the adverb suffix '-ly' to 'near', which comes from Old English 'nēah' (close). In the 1500s, 'nearly' first meant 'closely' or 'carefully'—the same sense that survives in phrases like 'not nearly enough'. Over the 1600s and 1700s it shifted toward the modern meaning of 'almost', probably because something done 'carefully' implies thoroughness, which in turn suggests 'almost completely'. The older 'closely' sense has mostly faded from modern English.