adj (1)近;不远(not far away in place or time)[除nearest外，通常作表语][A(to)]：The station is～. 车站很近。Christmas is getting～. 圣诞节快到了。The car did not hit me but it was a～miss.汽车没撞上我，但是只差那么一点儿。I don't expect any change in the～future. 我不指望在近期会有什么变化。It's getting～to Easter. 复活节快到了。They all came～to ruining themselves. 他们都快把自己毁了。The scheme is very～to achievement. 该计划很快就要成功。She was～to tears. 她差点儿哭了。〖同〗close，impending，approaching;

(2)关系接近的，亲密的(not far away in relationship)：～relation/friends/relatives/and dear近亲/亲朋好友/近亲/极亲密的;They became much～er to one another，more dependent on one another. 他们变得愈加亲密无间，相依为命。〖同〗close;

(3)相似的(similar)[除nearest之外用作表语]：a version very～to the original 十分接近原著的译本;～silk 像真丝一样的人造丝;

one's nearest and dearest家庭成员：She always spends Easter with her～est and dearest. 她总是和家人一起过复活节。

or near(est) offer 比明码标价低，但比别人的出价高： I'll accept $100，000 for the house，or～est offer. 这座房我卖10万美元，略少一点儿也行。

adv 附近(to or at a short distance)：He lives quite～. 他住的很近。Don't go～!别靠近! Spring is drawing～. 春天快到了。There are no garages～. 附近没有汽车修理厂。

as near as 接近地：As～as I can guess there were forty people present. 据我估计大约有40人出席。

as near as dammit;as near as makes no difference(imf) 相差无几;十分接近：They're of the same height，or as～as makes no difference. 他们长得几乎一般高。

not anywhere/nowhere near 当然不;远远不：She's nowhere～as old as her husband. 她远比她丈夫年轻得多。〖同〗close，proximately;〖反〗distantly，remotely，far;

prep 接近;靠近(not far away;at a very short distance from(in place，time，etc))：They live in a house～the park. 他们住在公园附近的一座房子里。Bombs fell～the building. 炸弹落在大楼附近。He must be getting～retiring age. 他大概快到退休年龄了。He is～death. 他快要死了。Your answer is nowhere～right. 你的答案一点儿也不对。I must have gone very～convincing him. 我大概快把他说服了。

be，come，etc near to sth/doing sth 几乎(达到，做到)：We were～to bursting with laughing.我们几乎笑破肚皮。

v 接近;将近(come near to) [I，T+n]： Winter is～ing and soon there'll be no leaves on the trees. 冬天快到了，树叶很快就要落光了。The holiday season～s. 休假的旺季快到了。As we～ed the station we saw the train arrive. 我们快到车站时，看到火车来了。The roads became busier as they～ed the town. 大路靠近城镇时变得越加繁忙。The affair～ed an climax. 事件接近高潮。〖同〗approach;.

→′nearby adj & adv 附近(的)，接近(的)′nearly adv 几乎，差不多;密切地;近似地;′nearness n 近;接(邻，亲)近;′near-sighted adj 近视的;

【用法】near，nearby 和near by都可表示接近和靠近的意思。但只有near有比较级和最高级形式，而且既可以指空间也可以指时间。near和nearby是形容词，当指空间时nearby可作定语，而near则不能。如：a nearby school 附近的学校。near和near by 都可作状语。near by有时可修饰全句，如：Near by，the helicopters could be heard landing and taking off. (不远处，你可听见直升飞机起降的声音。)

【辨异】near与close的区别见CLOSE。