Nearly Meaning
Nearly Definition & Usage
Almost, but not quite; to a high degree of similarity, but not exactly.
Examples
- "She nearly finished the project before the deadline."
- "It’s nearly impossible to solve this puzzle in one day."
- "We were nearly late to the concert, but managed to catch the beginning."
- "I’ve nearly lost all hope of seeing them again."
- "He nearly broke the world record during the competition."
Close in physical or emotional proximity, but not fully attained.
Examples
- "We nearly ran into each other on the sidewalk."
- "The two cars nearly collided at the intersection."
- "She nearly cried when she saw the surprise party."
- "The storm nearly reached our town but turned away."
- "He nearly got the job, but someone else was chosen at the last moment."
Cultural Context
The word 'nearly' comes from Old English 'nearly,' which means 'in a way that is close to the limit.' Over time, it has become a common part of the English lexicon, often used in everyday speech and writing.
The Nearly Missed Train
Story
The Nearly Missed Train
It was a busy morning at the station, and Lucy had just finished her early meeting. She was rushing to catch the 9:15 train to the city. As she entered the station, the platform was almost empty. 'Just in time,' she thought, nearly out of breath. But then, a train announcement came through the loudspeakers: 'The 9:15 train is delayed.' She let out a relieved sigh. The minutes passed slowly, and Lucy found herself wondering if she could have made it if she'd left just a few seconds earlier. 'I nearly missed it,' she thought, though the truth was she’d been lucky to avoid the rush. As the delayed train finally pulled into the station, she noticed a woman rushing to the platform, narrowly avoiding a collision with a man walking in the opposite direction. The woman looked flustered. 'I nearly didn't make it!' she exclaimed as she hurried past Lucy, narrowly avoiding another obstacle. Lucy took her seat on the train, now slightly more relaxed, but thinking about how life often feels like it's teetering on the edge of 'nearly.' Whether it was nearly making a deadline, nearly avoiding a disaster, or nearly achieving something great, it seemed like so many things were always 'nearly' happening. She laughed softly to herself. Maybe 'nearly' was just a part of the journey, a reminder of how close we often come to success or failure. The train slowly moved away from the station, and Lucy leaned back in her seat, thinking about the near-miss moments in her own life—how close she had come to making different decisions, and how that sense of 'nearly' had shaped her path. As the city skyline came into view, she realized that 'nearly' was not always a disappointment—it was part of the story, the uncertainty that made each day interesting. Sometimes, she thought, it was the nearly that made life worth living.
Related Words
