nigh
adv. degreeadv. almost or very near in time or space. It is an old-fashioned word often used to sound dramatic or poetic.
adv. nearly or almost in degree, time, or space. Often used in fixed expressions or literary contexts to indicate proximity.
The end of the school year is nigh.
With the sun setting behind the mountains, the travelers knew that nightfall was nigh.
The veteran politician admitted that the time for his retirement was well-nigh certain, given the shifting priorities of the younger electorate.
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂neḱ- Proto-Germanic *nēhwazder. Proto-Germanic *nēhw Proto-West Germanic *nāhw Old English nēah Middle English neygh English nigh Inherited from Middle English neygh, from Old English nēah, from Proto-West Germanic nāhw, from Proto-Germanic nēhw, from nēhwaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₂neḱ- (“to reach”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Often functions as a degree adverb modifying adjectives like 'impossible' or 'certain' (e.g., 'well-nigh').
Last updated May 7, 2026