to nearly

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; `near' is sometimes used informally for `nearly' and `most' is sometimes used informally for `almost'; "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"

Nearly is used to indicate that something will soon be the case. It was already nearly eight o'clock I was nearly asleep The voyage is nearly over You're nearly there I've nearly finished the words for your song. = almost

Nearly is used to indicate that something is not quite the case, or not completely the case. Goldsworth stared at me in silence for nearly twenty seconds Hunter knew nearly all of this already Several times Thorne nearly fell I nearly had a heart attack when she told me The beach was nearly empty They nearly always ate outside. = almost, practically

almost, closely, all but

emphasis You use not nearly to emphasize that something is not the case. Father's flat in Paris wasn't nearly as grand as this Minerals in general are not nearly so well absorbed as other nutrients British car workers did not earn nearly enough money to buy the products they were turning out. = nowhere near

in a close manner; "the two phenomena are intimately connected"; "the person most nearly concerned"

approximately

near

Tom has been gone nearly three years. - Tom has been gone for nearly three years.

I am nearly forty and still unmarried. - I am nearly forty and still not married.

to nearly