Synonyms: Near

Distance is relative, so these terms are useful for making it clear just how close by something or someone is. For more synonym lists, explore our Say What You Mean resources.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. abut
    lie adjacent to another or share a boundary
    And since some of Crosby’s rooms abutted ours, he was an obvious person to interview. Confessions of a Murder Suspect
    If two things — pieces of wood, or parcels of land — abut each other, then they touch.
  2. adjacent
    having a common boundary or edge
    We are adjacent to a huge grassy lot. Water for Elephants
    The person who lives in the adjacent apartment is your next-door neighbor. Something that is adjacent is more than just near, it is directly next to something else.
  3. adjoin
    lie next to another or share a boundary
    "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes," she says, moving into the adjoining dining room to set the table. You Bring the Distant Near
    Adjoin is very similar to adjacent, and that's because they both originate in the Latin verb adiungere, meaning "to join." Things that are adjoining and connected or touching.
  4. contiguous
    having a common boundary or edge
    The gymnasium was contiguous to the east wing of the school, and a grassless football field with cracked baked mud harrowed by cleats formed the far boundary of the campus to the north. The Great Santini
    Contiguous is a synonym for adjacent.
  5. juxtaposition
    the act of positioning close together
    There’s an amazing juxtaposition between the modern architecture and ancient sculpture. New York Times (Apr 4, 2018)
    Let's say you make a collage by gluing a picture of a rabbit next to a fire hydrant. Congratulations! You juxtaposed those two images.
  6. neighbor
    a person who lives near another
    The piano delighted both Mia and the elderly neighbors next door, who seemed to enjoy listening to her music. Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina
  7. nigh
    near in time or place or relationship
    None of them imagined that a horrible ordeal was drawing nigh. Into Thin Air
    Nigh is an archaic way of saying "near" that still sees occasional use, often for effect.
  8. propinquity
    the property of being close together
    The ports were wide open, and the cool evening air, fragrant in spite of the city's propinquity with the smell of the Stanley pines, flowed in. Bindloss, Harold
    Propinquus means "near" or "close" in Latin.
  9. proximal
    situated nearest to point of attachment or origin
    Though you may also see this in nearby Brookline, the margin of rents between the proximal neighbourhoods is astounding. The Guardian (Oct 1, 2016)
  10. proximity
    the property of being close together
    And I felt I couldn’t stay there, in such proximity to Scott. The Book of Unknown Americans
Created on Sat Aug 01 19:13:14 EDT 2020 (updated Mon Mar 22 17:42:37 EDT 2021)

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