Nigh — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adverb adjective preposition verb /ˈnī/

Meaning & Definition of Nigh

Nigh (adverb)

  1. near in place, time, or relationship —often used with on, onto, or unto
  2. nearly, almost

Nigh (adjective)

  1. close, near
  2. direct, short
  3. being on the left side

Nigh (preposition)

  1. near

Nigh (verb)

  1. to draw or come near to, approach
  2. to draw near

Nigh (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. not being distant in time, space, or significance

    "the end is nigh"

    similar: close, close-up, immediate, near, nearby, neighboring, next-door, proximate, at hand, to hand
    related: abutting, adjacent, adjoining, bordering, contiguous, approaching, coming, forthcoming, oncoming, upcoming, accessible, convenient, handy, close-in, hand-to-hand
    opposite: away, deep, distant, far, faraway, far-off, remote
    near: divorced, removed, separated

Nigh (adverb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. at, within, or to a short distance or time

    "have worked for them for nigh on 10 years"

    similar: around, by, close, hard, in, near, nearby, at close quarters, at hand, on one's doorstep, within call
    related: hereabouts, hereaway (dialect), thereabouts, along, alongside, accessibly, conveniently, handily

  2. very close to but not completely

    "he has nigh completed his degree"

    similar: about, all but, almost, borderline, fair (chiefly British), fairly, feckly (chiefly Scottish), more or less, most, much, near, nearly, next to, practically, somewhere, virtually, well-nigh, as good as, just about, pretty much, within an inch of
    related: appreciably, by and large, chiefly, largely, mainly, mostly, kind of, partially, partly, somewhat
    near: absolutely, altogether, completely, entirely, fully, plain, plumb (chiefly dialect), quite, thoroughly, totally, utterly, well, wholly, barely, hardly, scarcely

Nigh (preposition) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. close to

    "a field nigh the church"

    similar: about, around, by, near, next to, next door to
    related: alongside, beside, across, along, at, circa, toward

Nigh (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to come near or nearer

    "as the hour of his death was nighing"

    similar: approach, belly up, close, close in, come up, draw on, near
    related: arrive, attain, come, gain, hit, land, make, reach, show up, turn up, waltz (up), creep up, sneak up, adjoin, border, touch, verge
    opposite: back (up or away), recede, retire, retreat, withdraw
    near: clear out, depart, exit, go, leave, light out, pull out, quit, remove, run away, shove (off), take off, walk out

  2. to move closer to

    "as the old man was nighing his hour of death"

    similar: advance, approach, come, near
    related: drop in, enter, pop (in)
    opposite: go, recede (from), retreat, withdraw
    near: depart, exit, leave

Related Entry: Well-nigh (adverb)

Well-nigh is a different word from Nigh. The synonyms below are for well-nigh, not for nigh.

  1. very close to but not completely

    "it was well-nigh dark, but I could still see a little"

    similar: about, all but, almost, borderline, fair (chiefly British), fairly, feckly (chiefly Scottish), more or less, most, much, near, nearly, next to, nigh, practically, somewhere, virtually, as good as, just about, pretty much, within an inch of
    related: appreciably, by and large, chiefly, largely, mainly, mostly, kind of, partially, partly, somewhat
    near: absolutely, altogether, completely, entirely, fully, plain, plumb (chiefly dialect), quite, thoroughly, totally, utterly, well, wholly, barely, hardly, scarcely

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Nigh

The most common words with a similar meaning to Nigh:

Chiefly British: fair
Chiefly Scottish: feckly
close, close-up, immediate, near, nearby, neighboring, next-door, proximate, at hand, to hand, around, by, hard, in, about, all but, almost, borderline, fairly, more or less, most, much, nearly, next to, practically, somewhere, virtually, well-nigh, at close quarters, on one's doorstep, within call, as good as, just about, pretty much, within an inch of, next door to, approach, belly up, close in, come up

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Nigh

Words with the opposite meaning of Nigh:

away, deep, distant, far, faraway, far-off, remote, back (up or away), recede, retire, retreat, withdraw, go, recede (from)

Related Words for Nigh

abutting, adjacent, adjoining, bordering, contiguous, approaching, coming, forthcoming, oncoming, upcoming, accessible, convenient, handy, close-in, hand-to-hand, hereabouts, hereaway, thereabouts, along, alongside, accessibly, conveniently, handily, appreciably, by and large, chiefly, largely, mainly, mostly, kind of

Near Antonyms of Nigh

divorced, removed, separated, absolutely, altogether, completely, entirely, fully, plain, plumb, quite, thoroughly, totally, utterly, well, wholly, barely, hardly, scarcely, clear out, depart, exit, leave, light out, pull out, quit, remove, run away, shove (off), take off

Word Forms of Nigh

Inflections: nighed, nighing, nighs

Origin & Etymology of Nigh

Middle English, from Old English nēah; akin to Old High German nāh, adverb, nigh, preposition, nigh, after, Old Norse nā- nigh

First known use: before 12th century

Words & Phrases Containing Nigh

well-nigh, draw near/nigh

Frequently Asked Questions about Nigh

What does "Nigh" mean?

"Nigh" means near in place, time, or relationship —often used with on, onto, or unto. As an an adverb, an adjective, a preposition and a verb, it is defined as: near in place, time, or relationship —often used with on, onto, or unto. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Nigh"?

Other words for "Nigh" include close, close-up, immediate, near, nearby, neighboring, next-door and proximate. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Nigh" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Nigh"?

There are 102 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Nigh". Common alternatives include close, close-up, immediate, near, nearby, neighboring, next-door, proximate, at hand and to hand.

What is the opposite of "Nigh"?

Antonyms of "Nigh" include away, deep, distant, far, faraway, far-off, remote and back (up or away). Near antonyms include divorced, removed, separated and absolutely.

How do you use "Nigh" in a sentence?

Examples of "Nigh" in a sentence: "the end is nigh"; "have worked for them for nigh on 10 years"; "he has nigh completed his degree".

Is "Nigh" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Nigh" can be used as an adverb, an adjective, a preposition and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Nigh"?

"Nigh" is pronounced /ˈnī/.

What is the origin of the word "Nigh"?

"Nigh" comes from Middle English, from Old English nēah; akin to Old High German nāh, adverb, nigh, preposition, nigh, after, Old Norse nā- nigh. First known use: before 12th century.