English Explanatory Dictionary

well-nigh

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adv
  1. Almost, nearly.

Pronunciation

/ˌwɛlˈnaɪ/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-well-nigh.wav

Word forms

well-nigh

Etymology

From Middle English wel-neigh (“physically close to; near in time to; almost, nearly; closely”) [and other forms], from Old English wel nēah, wel nēh, from wel (“well”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *welh₁- (“to choose; to want”)) + nēah, nēh (“close, near”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂neḱ- (“to attain, reach”)). Synchronically a univerbation of well (“completely, fully; to a significant degree”) + nigh (“close by, near”).

Synonyms

fornigh just about virtually well-near all but almost as good as as near as makes no difference close to more or less near near as damn it nearly next to nigh nigh on nighwhat not quite practically pretty much tantamount to well-nigh -ish about approaching around by and large circa close essentially for all practical purposes give or take imprecisely kind of loosely nearabout odd or so plus or minus roundly roughly say some -some sort of thereabout ±

Related words

fornigh nigh nigh on
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