near

be close to the bone

if something you say or write is close to the bone, it is close to the truth in a way that may offend someone. He said he was only joking, but his comments were a bit close to the bone. Your remark about people who've been in trouble with the police was very near the bone.

See also: bone, close

be close to the mark

if something someone says or writes is close to the mark, it is correct or nearly correct. He says he can't find a job, but I think it would be closer to the mark to say he doesn't want to work.

See also: close, mark

be near the knuckle (British, informal)

if a joke or a remark is near the knuckle, it is about sex in a way that some people find offensive. Some of his jokes were a bit near the knuckle and, unfortunately, I was watching the show with my parents.

See also: knuckle

close/near at hand

very near. To have a few basic shops and services near at hand is a great thing.

See also: close, hand

a near miss

a situation in which an accident or unpleasant situation almost happened and was only just avoided. I managed to brake just in time but it was a near miss.

See also: miss

your nearest and dearest (humorous)

your family. When people are stressed at work, they tend to go home and take it out on their nearest and dearest.

See also: dear

so near and yet so far

something that you say which means that you have almost achieved something but that what you still have to do in order to achieve it is very difficult or impossible. I've only got the last chapter to write but it's taking forever. So near, yet so agonisingly far.

See also: far, yet

---

near and dear to you

very important to you. People usually give more attention to the things that are particularly near and dear to them.

See also: dear

your nearest and dearest

your family. My wife and dozens of her nearest and dearest are from West Virginia.

See also: dear

nowhere near

not in any way. It was a long list and it was nowhere near complete. The movie was nowhere near as bad as Erin said it was. Holzman was nowhere near the player Carey is.

Usage notes: used for emphasis

See also: nowhere