Question

near nearernearestnearsnearingnearednearness

Accepted Answer

prepositionIf something is near a place, thing, or person, it is a short distance from them.Don't come near me.Her children went back every year to stay in a farmhouse near the cottage.He drew his chair nearer the fire.Some of the houses nearest the bridge were on fire.He crouched as near to the door as he could.She took a step nearer to the barrier.As we drew near, I saw that the boot lid was up.He collapsed into the nearest chair.Where's the nearest phone?He went back into the bedroom, slipped into the nearer bed, and said goodnight.The nearer of the two barges was perhaps a mile away.He was suddenly aware of his nearness.If something happens near a particular time, it happens just before or just after that time.Performance is lowest between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m., and reaches a peak near midday.He was near the end of his first year at university.I'll tell you nearer the day.You use near to say that something is a little more or less than an amount or number stated....to increase manufacturing from about 2.5 million cars a year to nearer 4.75 million.The pound ended last year near its annual low.You can say that someone will not go near a person or thing when you are emphasizing that they refuse to see them or go there.He will absolutely not go near a hospital.I'm so annoyed with her that I haven't been near her for a week.otherphraseIf someone or something is near to a particular state, they have almost reached it.After the war, the company came near to bankruptcy.The repairs to the machine were near to completion.Apart from anything else, he comes near to contradicting himself.He was near tears.For almost a month he lay near death.We are no nearer agreement now than in the past.phraseIf something is similar to something else, you can say that it is near to it....a sickening sensation that was near to nausea.Often her feelings were nearer hatred than love.adjectiveYou describe the thing most similar to something as the nearest thing to it when there is no example of the thing itself.It would appear that the legal profession is the nearest thing to a recession-proof industry.Catherine had been the nearest to a mother figure that Mary had known.The near one of two things is the one that is closer....a mighty beech tree on the near side of the little clearing.Jane put one foot in the near stirrup and turned to look at the stranger.You use near to indicate that something is almost the thing mentioned .She was believed to have died in near poverty on the French Riviera....the 48-year-old who was brought in to rescue the bank from near collapse....his near fatal accident two years ago.The picture beneath was near lifesize.In a contest, your nearest rival or challenger is the person or team that is most likely to defeat you.He completed the lengthy course some three seconds faster than his nearest rival, Jonathon Ford.That victory put the Ukrainians beyond the reach of their nearest challengers, Dynamo Moscow.adverbIf a time or event draws near, it will happen soon .The time for my departure from Japan was drawing nearer every day.verbWhen you near a place, you get quite near to it.As he neared the stable, he slowed the horse and patted it on the neck.The horses hurried as they neared the end of the journey.When someone or something nears a particular stage or point, they will soon reach that stage or point.His age was hard to guess–he must have been nearing fifty.You are nearing the end of your training and you haven't attempted any assessments yet.The project is taking a long time but is now nearing completion.You say that an important time or event nears when it is going to occur quite soon.As half time neared, Hardyman almost scored twice.This factor will come increasingly to the fore as election day nears. A1

word	near
definition	preposition If something is near a place, thing, or person, it is a short distance from them. Don't come near me. Her children went back every year to stay in a farmhouse near the cottage. He drew his chair nearer the fire. Some of the houses nearest the bridge were on fire. He crouched as near to the door as he could. She took a step nearer to the barrier. As we drew near, I saw that the boot lid was up. He collapsed into the nearest chair. Where's the nearest phone? He went back into the bedroom, slipped into the nearer bed, and said goodnight. The nearer of the two barges was perhaps a mile away. He was suddenly aware of his nearness. If something happens near a particular time, it happens just before or just after that time. Performance is lowest between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m., and reaches a peak near midday. He was near the end of his first year at university. I'll tell you nearer the day. You use near to say that something is a little more or less than an amount or number stated. ...to increase manufacturing from about 2.5 million cars a year to nearer 4.75 million. The pound ended last year near its annual low. You can say that someone will not go near a person or thing when you are emphasizing that they refuse to see them or go there. He will absolutely not go near a hospital. I'm so annoyed with her that I haven't been near her for a week. other phrase If someone or something is near to a particular state, they have almost reached it. After the war, the company came near to bankruptcy. The repairs to the machine were near to completion. Apart from anything else, he comes near to contradicting himself. He was near tears. For almost a month he lay near death. We are no nearer agreement now than in the past. phrase If something is similar to something else, you can say that it is near to it. ...a sickening sensation that was near to nausea. Often her feelings were nearer hatred than love. adjective You describe the thing most similar to something as the nearest thing to it when there is no example of the thing itself. It would appear that the legal profession is the nearest thing to a recession-proof industry. Catherine had been the nearest to a mother figure that Mary had known. The near one of two things is the one that is closer. ...a mighty beech tree on the near side of the little clearing. Jane put one foot in the near stirrup and turned to look at the stranger. You use near to indicate that something is almost the thing mentioned . She was believed to have died in near poverty on the French Riviera. ...the 48-year-old who was brought in to rescue the bank from near collapse. ...his near fatal accident two years ago. The picture beneath was near lifesize. In a contest, your nearest rival or challenger is the person or team that is most likely to defeat you. He completed the lengthy course some three seconds faster than his nearest rival, Jonathon Ford. That victory put the Ukrainians beyond the reach of their nearest challengers, Dynamo Moscow. adverb If a time or event draws near, it will happen soon . The time for my departure from Japan was drawing nearer every day. verb When you near a place, you get quite near to it. As he neared the stable, he slowed the horse and patted it on the neck. The horses hurried as they neared the end of the journey. When someone or something nears a particular stage or point, they will soon reach that stage or point. His age was hard to guess–he must have been nearing fifty. You are nearing the end of your training and you haven't attempted any assessments yet. The project is taking a long time but is now nearing completion. You say that an important time or event nears when it is going to occur quite soon. As half time neared, Hardyman almost scored twice. This factor will come increasingly to the fore as election day nears.
inflections	nearernearestnearsnearingnearednearness
cefr-level	A1

Nearer Nearest Thing Time Year Nearing End Neared