nearer

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near

(nîr)

adv. near·er, near·est

1. To, at, or within a short distance or interval in space or time: moved the table nearer to the wall; as graduation draws near.

2. Just about; almost; nearly: was near exhausted from the climb.

3. With or in a close relationship: It turns out we are near related.

adj. nearer, nearest

1. Close in time, space, position, or degree: near neighbors; near equals.

2. Closely related by kinship or association; intimate: a near relative; a near and dear friend. See Synonyms at close.

a. Nearly occurring but not actually happening: a near victory; a near disaster.

b. Just barely avoided: a near hit by the incendiary bomb.

a. Closely corresponding to or resembling an original: a near likeness.

b. Closely resembling the genuine article: a dress of near satin; near silver beads.

a. Closer of two or more: Take the near street and then turn right.

b. Being on the left side of an animal or vehicle.

c. Being the animal or vehicle on the left.

6. Short and direct: the nearest route to town.

7. Archaic Stingy; parsimonious.

prep.

Close to: an inn near London.

v. neared, near·ing, nears

v.tr.

To come close or closer to: The plane neared the terminal.

v.intr.

To draw near or nearer; approach: as the holiday nears.

[Middle English ner, from Old English nēar, from comparative of nēah, close, near.]

near′ness n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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Adv.

nearer - (comparative of `near' or `close') within a shorter distance; "come closer, my dear!"; "they drew nearer"; "getting nearer to the true explanation"

closer, nigher

comparative, comparative degree - the comparative form of an adjective or adverb; "`faster' is the comparative of the adjective `fast'"; "`less famous' is the comparative degree of the adjective `famous'"; "`more surely' is the comparative of the adverb `surely'"

Translations

acercar

ближе поближе

References in classic literature ?

Nearer, a stream of open water rolls its slow black waves past the edges of the ice.

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"My success is assured; my victim draws nearer and nearer in spite of her efforts."

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"What are you going to do?" The Fox thought first of one way, then of another, and while he was debating the hounds came nearer and nearer, and at last the Fox in his confusion was caught up by the hounds and soon killed by the huntsmen.

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Sometimes the sound died away, then it grew clearer again and nearer. The road to Earlshall led through woods that belonged to the earl; the sound came in that direction, and I hoped it might be some one coming in search of us.

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Nearer and nearer it approached, mounting louder and louder in volume.

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Slowly, inch by inch, I pressed in with the crowd, moving nearer and nearer to the great glass screen that parts the dead from the living at the Morgue--nearer and nearer, till I was close behind the front row of spectators, and could look in.

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Both of Mars' moons are vastly nearer her than is our moon to Earth; the nearer moon being but about five thousand miles distant, while the further is but little more than fourteen thousand miles away, against the nearly one-quarter million miles which separate us from our moon.

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While they glided nearer and nearer, their gray obscurity of hue melted away.

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Higher and higher still they flew, nearer and nearer to the stars, when suddenly the mirror shook so terribly with grinning, that it flew out of their hands and fell to the earth, where it was dashed in a hundred million and more pieces.

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Then Gagool again sprang to and fro, gradually drawing nearer and nearer to ourselves.

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No, it came still nearer; was it the measured tramp of a marching troop?

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Madame Defarge beckoned the Juryman and The Vengeance a little nearer to the door, and there expounded her further views to them thus: