Close I Beach Closest Distance Family Uncomfortable Adjective

• our new house is close to the school.
• i had no idea the beach was so close.
• the two buildings are close together.
• this is the closest we can get to the beach by car.

close

1. near in space or time
• Our new house is close to the school.
• I had no idea the beach was so close.
• The two buildings are close together.
• This is the closest we can get to the beach by car.
• We all have to work in close proximity (= near each other).
• The President was shot at close range (= from a short distance away).
• The children are close to each other in age.
• Their birthdays are very close together.
• the near future
• a near neighbour
• a near miss
• a close contest
• a close encounter
• a close call.
• a close friend
• close family
• close links.
2. almost in a particular state; likely to do something soon
• He was close to tears.
• The new library is close to completion.
• She knew she was close to death.
• We are close to signing the agreement.
3. knowing somebody very well and liking them very much
• Jo is a very close friend.
• She is very close to her father.
• She and her father are very close.
• We're a very close family.
4. near in family relationship
• opposite distant
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/distant
• close relatives, such as your mother and father, and brothers and sisters
• The groom and his close family took their places.
5. very involved in the work or activities of somebody else, usually seeing and talking to them regularly
• He is one of the prime minister's closest advisers.
• The college has close links with many other institutions.
• She has kept in close contact with the victims' families.
• We keep in close touch with the police.
6. careful and thorough
• Take a close look at this photograph.
• On closer examination the painting proved to be a fake.
• Pay close attention to what I am telling you.
7. very similar to something else or to an amount
• There's a close resemblance (= they look very similar).
• His feeling for her was close to hatred.
• The total was close to 20% of the workforce.
• We tried to match the colours, but this is the closest we could get.
8. won by only a small amount or distance
• a close contest/match/election
• It was a very close finish.
• I think it's going to be close.
• Our team came a close second(= nearly won).
• The game was closer than the score suggests.
• The result is going to be too close to call (= either side may win).
9. used to describe something, usually a dangerous or unpleasant situation, that nearly happens
• Phew! That was close—that car nearly hit us.
• We caught the bus in the end but it was close (= we nearly missed it).
10. with little or no space in between
• over 1 000 pages of close print
• The soldiers advanced in close formation.
11. cut very short, near to the skin
• a close haircut/shave
12. carefully guarded
• The donor's identity is a close secret.
• She was kept under close arrest.
13. warm in an uncomfortable way because there does not seem to be enough fresh air
• synonym stuffy
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/stuffy
• It’s very close today—I think there’s going to be a storm.
14. not willing to give personal information about yourself
• He was close about his past.
15. not liking to spend money
• She's always been very close with her money.
16. produced with the mouth in a relatively closed position
• compare open
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/open_1
17. very near
• fighting at close quarters
18. close to you in time or distance
• Help was at hand.
• The property is ideally located with all local amenities close at hand.
19. used to tell somebody that their attempt or guess was almost but not quite successful
20. a situation in which you only just manage to avoid an accident, etc.
21. having a lot of importance and interest for somebody
22. a situation in which success or failure is equally possible
• We got him out in the end, but it was a close thing.
23. if a remark or topic of discussion is close to home, it is accurate or connected with you in a way that makes you uncomfortable or embarrassed
• See related entries: Embarrassment
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/topic/embarrassment/close_1
• Her remarks about me were embarrassingly close to home.
24. to watch somebody/something carefully
• Over the next few months we will keep a close eye on sales.
25. so near that it is uncomfortable or dangerous
• When she leaves the stage, the fans can get a little too close for comfort.
• They got the win but it was a tight match, definitely too close for comfort.

Extra Examples

• Get close to the microphone.
• He was quite close to his older brother.
• Keep close to me.
• The two sisters seemed very close.
• Their birthdays are very close together.
• The car came perilously close to running her down.
• Victory was tantalizingly close.
• He had a close shave when his brakes failed on the mountain road.
• It’s a desperately close race—I can’t quite see who is ahead.
• Jo is a very close friend.
• Phew! That was close—the motorbike nearly hit us.
• The California election looks too close to call as voters go to the polls.
• The invasion never happened but it was a close run thing.
• The organizers of the race are predicting a close finish.
• We’re a very close family.
• The unemployment total was close to 20% of the workforce.
• There’s a close resemblance between them.

Word Origin

• Middle English: from Old French clos (as noun and adjective), from Latin clausum ‘enclosure’ and clausus ‘closed’, past participle of claudere.