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View synonyms for nigh

nigh

[ nahy ]

adverb

  1. near in space, time, or relation:

    The time draws nigh.

  2. nearly; almost; (often followed by on or onto ):

    nigh onto twenty years.



adjective

, nigh·er, nigh·est.
  1. near; approaching:

    Evening is nigh.

  2. short or direct:

    to take the nighest route.

  3. (of an animal or vehicle) being on the left side:

    to be astride the nigh horse.

  4. Archaic. parsimonious; stingy.

preposition

verb (used with or without object)

  1. Archaic. to approach.

nigh

/ naɪ /

adjective

  1. an archaic, poetic, or dialect word for near


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Other Words From

  • un·nigh adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of nigh1

before 900; Middle English nigh ( e ), neye, Old English nēah, nēh, cognate with Dutch na, German nahe, Old Norse nā-, Gothic nehw, nehwa; near, next

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Word History and Origins

Origin of nigh1

Old English nēah, nēh; related to German nah, Old Frisian nei. Compare near , next

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Example Sentences

Three quarters of those people believe the end of the world is nigh.

Naturally, this has doomsayers preaching that the end is nigh.

These are, in mechanical terms, simple fixes; politically, a nigh-impossible slog.

Replacing the bread in a sandwich with fried meat makes me worry the apocalypse is nigh.

We pulled every string we could for nigh on a year and a half.

I've always hed a reel mean feelin' about 'em; I didn't want ter come nigh 'em, nor ter hev 'em come nigh me.

In Ireland they have palpably and greatly benefited every class but the stockholders, and these they have well nigh ruined.

All who are in him, though once like those, who were sometimes afar off, are made nigh by his blood.

An' the old woman be quite crazed, an' well nigh dead wi' grief, an' has not been out o' bed for a fortnite.

An officer in the Venezuelan and the Peruvian services was fortunately nigh the banks of the river, shooting wild pigs.

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