What does nearly mean?
Word: Nearly
Part of Speech: Adverb
Meaning: Nearly means very close to, but not quite or not completely.
Synonyms: practically, roughly
Antonyms: exactly, completely
How do you spell nearly?
Syllables: near - ly
Tricky part: Nearly has only one l. Adding a second l (nearlly) is the most common mistake.
Watch out for: nearlly, nearley
Memory tip: Nearly ends just like only, with a single l before the y.
Nearly in a sentence
Example 1: I nearly missed the school bus this morning.
Example 2: The water tank is nearly empty, so turn on the motor.
Example 3: It is nearly time for the monsoon to reach Kerala.
Fun Fact
In the 1530s nearly could mean carefully: to look nearly at something was to study it closely. The sense of almost came about 150 years later.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the word closest in meaning to nearly as used in the sentence:
The old banyan tree behind the temple is nearly two hundred years old.
a) barely
b) over
c) almost
d) just
Show answer
c) almost. Nearly means almost; over would make the tree older than two hundred, and barely or just would make it exactly that.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
Our school bus was neerly empty on the first morning of the Diwali holidays.
a) holidays
b) empty
c) neerly
d) school
Show answer
c) neerly. Near is spelt n-e-a-r, so nearly has ea too.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
We had ylenra reached the station when the rain began.
a) nearly
b) yearly
c) newly
d) neatly
Show answer
a) nearly. The letters n, e, a, r, l and y spell nearly; yearly needs a second y, not an n.
Spell-o-Spell
Three words in the list are spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word.
1. usually 2. definately 3. nearly 4. probably
a) very close to, but not quite
b) in most cases
c) without any doubt
d) very likely to happen
Show answer
c) without any doubt. Definitely comes from finite, so it is def-i-nite-ly with no a.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Someone who nearly wins a race ____.
a) wins it twice in a row
b) does not take part
c) wins by a long way
d) finishes just behind the winner
Show answer
d) finishes just behind the winner
2. Which of these is nearly a year?
a) two weeks
b) five years
c) one day
d) eleven months
Show answer
d) eleven months
