closely
- 01 B1 Intermediate
to look at or listen to something very carefully to see every detail.
with intense focus and attention to detail; used when observing or monitoring a situation.
Simple“If you look closely at the photo, you can see a bird in the tree.”
In context“The security team monitored the crowd closely, looking for any signs of suspicious activity as the VIP arrived at the venue.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
having a very direct or strong relationship with someone or something.
denoting a strong or intimate connection, often regarding collaboration or causal relationships.
Simple“The two companies work closely together on new technology projects.”
In context“The researchers found that dietary habits were closely linked to the development of certain chronic conditions in the study group.”
SynonymsAntonymsdistantlyloosely - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
near to something else, with very little space or time in between.
in a position of physical proximity or occurring in rapid succession.
Simple“The runner was followed closely by his rival during the final lap.”
In context“The second explosion followed the first so closely that many witnesses initially thought they were a single event.”
closely vs close — Close describes physical or temporal proximity, while closely describes the degree of attention or the tightness of a connection.
Usage closely related · closely linked · closely connected
From close + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.