Adjacent Words

Nigh definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

NIGH, a. [G. A preposition signifying to, on or after, that is, approaching, pressing on, making towards; strait, narrow.]
1. Near; not distant or remote in place or time.
The loud tumult shows the battle nigh.
When the fig-tree putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh.
2. Closely allied by blood; as a nigh kinsman.
3. Easy to be obtained or learnt; of easy access.
The word is very nigh unto thee. Deutoronomy 30.
4. Ready to support, to forgive, or to aid and defend.
The Lord is nigh unto them who are of a broken heart. Psalms 34.
5. Close in fellowship; intimate in relation.
Ye are made nigh by the blood of Christ. Ephesians 2.
6. Near in progress or condition. Hebrews 6.
NIGH, adv. ni.
1. Near; at a small distance in place or time, or in the course of events.
He was sick, nigh to death. Philippians 2.
2. Near to a place.
He drew nigh.
3. Almost; near. He was nigh dead.
Nigh is never a preposition. In the phrase, nigh this recess, with terror they survey, there is an ellipsis of to. They, nigh to this recess, survey, etc.
NIGH, v.i. ni. To approach; to advance or draw near. [Not used.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: not far distant in time or space or degree or circumstances; "near neighbors"; "in the near future"; "they are near equals"; "his nearest approach to success"; "a very near thing"; "a near hit by the bomb"; "she was near tears"; "she was close to tears"; "had a close call" [syn: near, close, nigh] [ant: far]
2: being on the left side; "the near or nigh horse is the one on the left"; "the animal's left side is its near or nigh side" [syn: near, nigh] adv
1: near in time or place or relationship; "as the wedding day drew near"; "stood near the door"; "don't shoot until they come near"; "getting near to the true explanation"; "her mother is always near"; "The end draws nigh"; "the bullet didn't come close"; "don't get too close to the fire" [syn: near, nigh, close]
2: (of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but; "the job is (just) about done"; "the baby was almost asleep when the alarm sounded"; "we're almost finished"; "the car all but ran her down"; "he nearly fainted"; "talked for nigh onto 2 hours"; "the recording is well-nigh perfect"; "virtually all the parties signed the contract"; "I was near exhausted by the run"; "most everyone agrees" [syn: about, almost, most, nearly, near, nigh, virtually, well-nigh]

Merriam Webster's

I. adverb Etymology: Middle English, from Old English n?ah; akin to Old High German n?h, adverb, nigh, preposition, nigh, after, Old Norse n?- nigh Date: before 12th century 1. near in place, time, or relationship — often used with on, onto, or unto 2. nearly, almost II. adjective Date: before 12th century 1. close, near 2. chiefly dialect direct, short 3. being on the left side <the nigh horse> III. preposition Date: before 12th century near IV. verb Date: 13th century transitive verb to draw or come near to ; approach intransitive verb to draw near

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adv., prep., & adj. archaic or dial. near. Etymology: OE neh, neah

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Nigh Nigh, prep. Near to; not remote or distant from. ``was not this nigh shore?'' --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Nigh Nigh, a. [Compar. Nigher; superl. Nighest, or Next.] [OE. nigh, neigh, neih, AS. ne['a]h, n?h; akin to D. na, adv., OS. n[=a]h, a., OHG. n[=a]h, G. nah, a., nach to, after, Icel. n[=a] (in comp.) nigh, Goth. n?hw, n?hwa, adv., nigh. Cf. Near, Neighbor, Next.] 1. Not distant or remote in place or time; near. The loud tumult shows the battle nigh. --Prior. 2. Not remote in degree, kindred, circumstances, etc.; closely allied; intimate. ``Nigh kinsmen.'' --Knolles. Ye . . . are made nigh by the blood of Christ. --Eph. ii. 13. Syn: Near; close; adjacent; contiguous; present; neighboring.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Nigh Nigh, adv. [AS. ne['a]h, n?h. See Nigh, a.] 1. In a situation near in place or time, or in the course of events; near. He was sick, nigh unto death. --Phil. ii. 27. He drew not nigh unheard; the angel bright, Ere he drew nigh, his radiant visage turned. --Milton. 2. Almost; nearly; as, he was nigh dead.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Nigh Nigh, v. t. & i. To draw nigh (to); to approach; to come near. [Obs.] --Wyclif (Matt. iii. 2).

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

1. If an event is nigh, it will happen very soon. (OLD-FASHIONED) The end of the world may be nigh, but do we really care?... ADV: be ADV see also well-nigh 2. Nigh on an amount, number, or age means almost that amount, number, or age. (OLD-FASHIONED) I had to pay nigh on forty pounds for it. = nearly PHRASE: PHR amount

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ni.

See NEAR.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. a. 1. Near, adjacent, adjoining, contiguous, close by, close, close at hand, bordering upon, approximate to, hard by. 2. Near, present, proximate. 3. Intimate, closely allied. II. ad. 1. Near. 2. Almost, nearly. III. prep. Near, close to, close by, not far from.

Moby Thesaurus

about, all but, almost, along toward, approach, approaching, approximate, approximating, arm-in-arm, around, as good as, aside, at close quarters, at hand, at next hand, beside, bordering on, burning, by, cheek-by-jowl, circa, close, close about, close at hand, close by, close to, close upon, closely, come near, converge, counterclockwise, draw near, draw nigh, fast by, hand-in-hand, hard, hard by, hard on, hereabout, hereabouts, hot, immediate, in spitting distance, intimate, just about, larboard, left, left-hand, left-wing, left-wingish, levorotatory, liberal, near, near at hand, near the mark, near to, near upon, nearabout, nearabouts, nearby, nearing, nearish, nearly, next door to, nigh about, nighhand, nighish, not far, not far from, not quite, only a step, port, pretty near, propinque, proximal, proximate, radical, round, side-by-side, sinister, sinistral, sinistrocerebral, sinistrocular, sinistrogyrate, sinistrorse, thereabout, thereabouts, verging on, verging upon, vicinal, warm, well-nigh, within call, within earshot, within hearing, within reach