almost
almost — adverb
1. very close to a particular state or situation, but not completely; nearly, but n
very close to a particular state or situation, but not completely; nearly, but not quite.
Yara almost missed the bus because she could not find her keys.
almost + verb: almost missed
The cookies were almost ready when the doorbell rang.
almost + adjective: almost ready
It rained almost every day during their two-week trip to the mountains.
Vinícius has almost finished reading the long novel for his book club.
Ritu could almost hear her grandmother's voice when she opened the old letter.
- nearly
Nearly is very similar in meaning but slightly more formal; it is the preferred choice when discussing measurements or numbers (e.g., 'nearly 200 guests').
- practically
Practically is more informal and emphatic; it suggests the difference is so small that it does not matter in everyday terms (e.g., 'practically begging').
- virtually
Virtually is more formal and is used when the difference is considered negligible in technical or objective terms (e.g., 'virtually identical results').
- completely
Completely indicates a full or total state, the opposite of 'almost' which is deliberately incomplete.
文法句型
almost + verb / adjective / adverb / quantifier
用法筆記
In the adverb sense, almost goes directly before the word it modifies — a verb, adjective, adverb, or quantifier. It is especially common with quantifiers such as 'all', 'every', 'any', 'no', and 'nothing' (e.g., almost all, almost every, almost nothing, almost no one). Do not place almost directly before a noun (e.g. 'almost people' is wrong; say 'almost all people').
常見錯誤
almost — adjective
- almostpositive
- more almostcomparative
- most almostsuperlative
1. very close to being the thing described by the noun, but falling just short of i
very close to being the thing described by the noun, but falling just short of it in reality.
The team treated their almost victory like a real win, cheering and hugging each other.
almost + noun: almost victory
After the storm, the resort was an almost ghost town with only two guests left.
Hamza wrote a story about an almost bride who ran away from her own wedding.
Wei described the mudslide as an almost disaster for the village, since every home was spared.
- near
Near is broader and more common; it can be used before a noun without the 'nearly but not quite' implication (e.g., 'a near miss' implies closeness; 'a near victory' works like 'an almost victory').
- would-be
Would-be carries a slightly different nuance — it suggests aspiration or intention rather than near-completion (e.g., 'a would-be actor' wants to become one, while 'an almost actor' nearly became one).
文法句型
almost + noun
用法筆記
This adjective use is rarer and almost entirely American English. It appears attributively (before a noun) to describe something that came extremely close to being the thing named but did not fully become it. Common in expressions like 'an almost man' (someone who nearly succeeded at something defining) or 'the almost bride/groom'. Do not confuse with the adverb sense, where almost modifies a verb or adjective.