close
/kləʊz/ (bre, ipa) · [klˈos] /kloʊz/ (ame, ipa) · [klˈos] /kloʊz/ (ame, mw) · [klˈos] /ˈklōz/ (ame, mw) · /kləʊs/ (bre, ipa) · [klˈos] /kloʊs/ (ame, ipa) · [klˈos] /kloʊs/ (ame, mw)
close — verb
- closepresent simple I / you / we / they
- closes3rd person singular
- closing-ing form
- closedpast simple
1. to move a door, window, lid, or other object that covers an opening so that the
to move a door, window, lid, or other object that covers an opening so that the opening is blocked and nothing can pass through.
Please close the door when you leave the room.
close + door/window/lid — common physical objects
Minho closed his book and put it on the shelf.
The wind made the kitchen door close with a loud bang.
Gabriela closed the lid of her laptop and stood up.
It was cold outside, so Chidi closed all the windows.
- open
to move something so that the opening is no longer blocked
文法句型
close + object (door/window/lid/book)
close (no object)
用法筆記
Often used with objects such as door, window, lid, mouth, eyes, or book. For containers like boxes or bottles, use 'close the lid'.
常見錯誤
2. A public venue like a café, library, or similar facility stops admitting visitor
A public venue like a café, library, or similar facility stops admitting visitors, usually at a set time each day or during a holiday period.
The museum closes at six o'clock on weekdays.
close + at [time] — fixed daily closing time
What time does the library close on Saturdays?
The café closes early on Sunday, so let us go before five.
Many restaurants in this area close for a holiday during the summer.
The supermarket closes at ten o'clock every night.
- shut
same meaning, more common in British English: 'the pub shuts at eleven'
- open
to start allowing customers in: 'the shop opens at nine'
文法句型
close + at [time]
close + on [day]
close + for [period]
用法筆記
Subject is always a place that offers a service or goods to the public (shop, restaurant, bank, library, museum, etc.). Usually intransitive — you say 'the shop closes at 8' not 'the manager closes the shop at 8' (though the transitive form is possible).
常見錯誤
3. to cause an event, activity, conversation, or process to finish; or to finish on
to cause an event, activity, conversation, or process to finish; or to finish on its own without anyone stopping it.
The manager closed the meeting with a brief summary.
transitive: close + meeting/speech/case
The film closes with a scene of the family having dinner together.
close with [something] — end by doing or showing
Eri closed her speech by thanking the volunteers for their help.
The police closed the case after the suspect confessed.
Talks between the two companies closed without an agreement.
文法句型
close + with [something]
close + meeting/speech/case
用法筆記
Common in formal contexts such as meetings, speeches, legal cases, festivals, and business talks. Not used for ending personal relationships — use 'end' or 'break up' instead.
常見錯誤
4. When a business, factory, or public service stops operating and no longer serves
When a business, factory, or public service stops operating and no longer serves customers or produces goods, either for a short period or forever.
The factory closed after thirty years of making furniture.
intransitive: business closes permanently
The bank decided to close its branch in the small town.
transitive: close + branch/office/factory
Many bookshops have closed because people buy books online.
The hospital may close unless the government provides more funds.
After the owner retired last year, the bakery closed for good.
- shut down
phrasal verb, common for factories and computers as well
- cease operations
formal, used in official announcements
- go out of business
commonly used for shops and small companies
文法句型
close + factory/shop/business
close (no object) — business closes
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2 ('DAILY CLOSING'): sense 2 is about daily hours (the shop closes at 8pm), while this sense is about ceasing to exist as a business. 'Close down' or 'shut down' are common phrasal-verb alternatives.
常見錯誤
5. to successfully complete a business agreement, sale, or financial arrangement wi
to successfully complete a business agreement, sale, or financial arrangement with another person or company after discussion and negotiation.
The company closed a deal with a new supplier in Taiwan.
close a deal — most common collocation
Anjali closed the sale after the customer agreed to the final price.
The real estate agent closed the contract on the apartment yesterday.
It took three months of talks to close the agreement.
Bilal closed a major deal with a Japanese electronics firm.
- negotiate
to discuss terms before reaching a final agreement
文法句型
close + deal/sale/contract/agreement
用法筆記
Almost always transitive with a business noun as the object (deal, sale, contract, agreement, transaction). Subject is typically a person or organization. Common in real estate, finance, and corporate contexts.
常見錯誤
6. to shrink the space, gap, or difference separating two things; or to grow less,
to shrink the space, gap, or difference separating two things; or to grow less, bringing things nearer together.
The new programme aims to close the gap between rich and poor students.
close the gap — most common collocation
The leading runner began to close the distance on the one in front.
The difference in their scores closed to just two points.
Teachers are working hard to close the gap in reading levels between classes.
As the two cars closed on each other, the race grew more exciting.
文法句型
close + the gap/difference/distance
close on + [someone/something]
用法筆記
Most common with 'the gap' as object. 'Close the gap' is used both literally (physical spaces) and figuratively (differences in achievement, wealth, ability). 'Close on' means 'come nearer to' and is intransitive.
7. to make a computer program, document, or window stop appearing on your screen so
to make a computer program, document, or window stop appearing on your screen so that you are no longer working with it
After Eli checked the last row of data, he closed the spreadsheet.
transitive: close + document/spreadsheet
Jisoo always closes her email program before leaving the office.
collocation: close + email program
The photo-editing tool will close automatically when the update finishes.
Before you turn off your computer, close every open document.
Defne closed the browser window after finishing her online order.
- open
the reverse action — makes a program, file, or window appear on screen
文法句型
close + file/program/window
用法筆記
Common in computing contexts. Can be used transitively (close a file) or intransitively (the program closes). 'Close' affects a specific file, program, or window; 'shut down' refers to turning off the entire computer.
常見錯誤
close — noun
- closesingular
- closesplural
1. the last part of an event, activity, or period of time, when it stops or is cons
the last part of an event, activity, or period of time, when it stops or is considered finished
The movie was exciting right through to the close of the final scene.
the close of [event]
Anjali signed the contract toward the close of the business day.
The charity raised over fifty thousand dollars by the close of the weekend campaign.
As the close of the meeting drew near, Ramón summarized the team's decisions.
- end
more general and common; 'close' sounds slightly more formal and often implies a natural finish
- conclusion
more formal; suggests a logical or planned finish rather than a simple stopping point
- finish
more direct; commonly used for races, competitions, and physical tasks
文法句型
the close of [something]
用法筆記
Frequently used in fixed phrases with 'the' and 'of', such as 'at the close of day' or 'toward the close of the session'. Subject of sentences is often an event, period, or process.
常見錯誤
2. the point or state at which an activity, process, or situation reaches its end a
the point or state at which an activity, process, or situation reaches its end after continuing for some time
The festival came to a close with a spectacular fireworks display over the lake.
came to a close — idiom for finishing
Hyun worked hard to bring the two-year renovation project to a close before the winter.
bring [project] to a close
As the summer holidays drew to a close, Layla began packing for university.
The investigation was nearing its close when a new piece of evidence appeared.
- end
more general; lacks the implication of a gradual winding-down that 'close' carries in these phrases
- conclusion
slightly more formal; often implies a decisive or final end
- start
the beginning of the process
文法句型
bring [something] to a close
come to a close
draw to a close
用法筆記
Almost always appears in fixed verb phrases like 'come to a close', 'bring to a close', or 'draw to a close'. The definite article 'a' (not 'the') is used in these phrases. Distinguish from sense 1 (FINAL PART), which refers to the final section of something rather than the act of finishing.
常見錯誤
3. the moment in time at which a particular period, such as a working day, a year,
the moment in time at which a particular period, such as a working day, a year, or a season, finishes
All orders received before the close of business will be shipped the same day.
close of business — common business expression
Eve reviewed the stock prices at the market close and noted a steady gain.
By the close of the decade, the small town had built two new schools.
The librarian reminded everyone that the close of the borrowing period was next Friday.
Farmers usually finish harvesting before the close of autumn.
- opening
the start of a period, especially in business hours or market trading
文法句型
the close of [time period]
用法筆記
Common in commercial and financial contexts ('close of business', 'market close'). Also used with calendar periods ('close of the year', 'close of the century'). Unlike sense 1, the focus is on the precise time boundary rather than the content of the final part.
常見錯誤
4. a short street that has houses along it and is blocked off at one end, so cars c
a short street that has houses along it and is blocked off at one end, so cars can only drive in and out from the same opening
The children rode their bikes safely on the close because no through traffic passed by.
Madison lives at number twelve on Lavender Close, just past the old oak tree.
used in street names: [Name] Close
Dario parked his van at the entrance of the close and unloaded the furniture.
The postman delivers mail to every house on the close before lunchtime.
- cul-de-sac
more formal and common in American English; French-derived term
- dead end
more informal; emphasizes that the road has no outlet
用法筆記
Commonly used in British street names, appearing after the street name (e.g., 'Willow Close', 'Park Close'). In American English, 'cul-de-sac' or 'dead end' is more typical. The word is always treated as a countable noun.
常見錯誤
close — adjective
- closepositive
- closercomparative
- closestsuperlative
1. linked by direct family ties, or by strong feelings of shared belief and mutual
linked by direct family ties, or by strong feelings of shared belief and mutual support
Shirin is the bride's close relative and sits in the family section.
close relative — direct family tie
The two communities have built close ties through years of trade and shared traditions.
close ties — shared beliefs or support
Nikos has a close working relationship with the team and talks to them every day.
The Watanabe family stay close and help out whenever someone is in trouble.
- distant
used for family relationships that are not close, or for people who are not emotionally connected
用法筆記
Often used before nouns such as relative, friend, ties, relationship, bond to describe the strength of a connection.
常見錯誤
2. sharing strong feelings of friendship, knowing one another well, and spending ti
sharing strong feelings of friendship, knowing one another well, and spending time together regularly
Sumin and Padma have been close friends since they were at primary school.
close friends — people who know and like each other
I am still close to several people I met at my old workplace.
close to [someone] — preposition pattern
The two sisters grew very close after travelling around Southeast Asia together.
Kwame is close with his neighbours and often has dinner at their house.
- friendly
pleasant and sociable, but may not imply deep familiarity
- intimate
much stronger, suggesting very private and deep friendship; can sound too strong for casual friendship
- tight-knit
used of a group rather than individuals; describes a community or team that sticks together
- distant
emotionally far, not sharing personal feelings or spending time together
用法筆記
Used with the prepositions to or with: close to somebody (more common in BrE) and close with somebody (common in AmE).
常見錯誤
3. paying very careful and thorough attention when looking at, listening to, or exa
paying very careful and thorough attention when looking at, listening to, or examining something
The detective took a close look at the muddy footprints outside the window.
close look — careful visual examination
The doctor kept the patient under close observation throughout the night.
close observation — monitoring in detail
We need to pay close attention to the instructions before we start the experiment.
João gave the old painting a close inspection before deciding to buy it.
- cursory
done quickly with little attention; more formal
用法筆記
Almost always appears before a noun that names an act of perception or examination (look, watch, listen, attention, inspection, observation, reading, study). This sense is not used predicatively.
常見錯誤
4. not willing to share personal information, feelings, or plans with other people
not willing to share personal information, feelings, or plans with other people
Linh is very close about where she got the money for her new business.
close about [topic] — preposition pattern
The committee kept its decisions close and refused to tell the public anything.
keep something close — keep it secret
My grandmother is a close woman who never talks about her childhood.
Valentina stayed close about her travel plans until the week before she left.
用法筆記
Followed by about + topic (close about her past) or used in the phrase keep/stay close. Commonly followed by a clause with wh-words (close about what happened).
常見錯誤
5. if the air or weather is close, it feels uncomfortably warm and still, making it
if the air or weather is close, it feels uncomfortably warm and still, making it difficult to breathe easily
The room was so close that Ilan opened all the windows at once.
It was a hot, close afternoon and nobody wanted to leave the house.
hot, close weather — stuffy atmospheric conditions
The air in the basement felt close and heavy after being shut all winter.
The night was warm and close, with no breeze coming through the windows.
- stuffy
more common; emphasises lack of fresh air rather than heat
- muggy
adds the idea of high humidity; less formal
- suffocating
much stronger, suggesting it is hard to breathe at all
用法筆記
Used predicatively (the air is close, it feels close) or with and linking two adjectives (hot and close, warm and close). Not used before a noun in modern English.
常見錯誤
6. situated very near to something; due to happen soon
situated very near to something; due to happen soon
The bus stop is close to Isabela's house, so she walks there every morning.
close to [place] — spatial nearness
Christmas is close and the children are getting very excited.
close in time — temporal nearness
We found a parking space close to the entrance of the shopping centre.
The supermarket is close enough for us to walk there with the shopping bags.
用法筆記
Typically followed by to + noun (close to the station, close to summer). Can also be used with enough (close enough to walk). Not used before a noun when it means 'not far' (*the close house is ungrammatical in this sense).
常見錯誤
7. positioned with very little space between things or people
positioned with very little space between things or people
The old houses in the village stood close together along the winding street.
collocation: close together for physical proximity
Beatrix sat close to her mother during the thunderstorm.
collocation: sit close to
The chairs were placed so close that nobody could walk between them.
Lien and Zuri stood close together for the photograph.
A row of tall trees grew close to the side of the building.
- near
more general; can refer to time or distance
- adjacent
more formal; means next to or touching
- neighbouring
used for areas or buildings near each other
8. almost the same as something else; having very little difference in value, quali
almost the same as something else; having very little difference in value, quality, or appearance
The final score was close, with only two points separating the teams.
collocation: close score / close result
Eli's painting is close in style to the work of a famous artist.
pattern: close in [noun] to [noun]
The two shades of blue are so close that I cannot tell them apart.
Her translation was close to the original without being word-for-word.
The election results were close, and a recount was requested.
- similar
broader; close implies almost the same
- comparable
suggests a reasonable likeness rather than near-identity
- near
used in fixed phrases like 'near match' or 'near copy'
文法句型
close + in + noun
close + to + noun
9. very near to reaching a condition or performing an action; almost happening, esp
very near to reaching a condition or performing an action; almost happening, especially something bad or dramatic
That was a close call — the car nearly hit the bicycle.
idiomatic noun phrase: 'close call'
Kabir was close to tears after hearing the sad news.
pattern: close to [noun] for emotional state
The company came close to shutting down during the economic crisis.
Valentina was close to giving up when she finally found the answer.
The athlete came close to breaking the world record by half a second.
文法句型
close + to + infinitive
close + to + gerund/noun
用法筆記
Often used in past-tense narratives about events that nearly occurred. Frequently appears in the verb phrase 'come close to + gerund' or with the set noun phrase 'a close call'.
常見錯誤
10. won or decided by a very small difference in points, votes, or distance, so the
won or decided by a very small difference in points, votes, or distance, so the winner is not clear until the end
The election was a close race decided by fewer than a hundred votes.
collocation: close race
Tariro won the tennis match in a close final set.
collocation: close final / close match
The horse race was close, with the winner crossing the line just ahead.
It was a close contest that kept the audience guessing until the end.
The senator won by a close margin in the tightest election of the year.
- landslide
a victory by a very large margin, the opposite of a close win
文法句型
a close + noun (race/election/contest/game)
用法筆記
This sense is restricted to competitive contexts — elections, sports matches, auctions, and similar contests. It cannot describe objects or people.
11. not willing to spend money or share it with others; unwilling to give or lend
not willing to spend money or share it with others; unwilling to give or lend
Uncle Henrik is so close that he refuses to buy birthday presents.
informal: so close that + clause for extreme stinginess
Zayd's grandfather was close with every penny he earned.
Justin is too close to lend anyone even a small amount of cash.
The landlord was so close that he would not fix the broken heater.
Being close with money is common among those who grew up poor.
- generous
willing to spend or give freely
- extravagant
spends too much; opposite end of the scale
文法句型
close + with + noun (money/cash)
用法筆記
This sense is informal and can be slightly rude if used directly about someone. Less harsh alternatives include 'frugal', 'careful with money', or 'tight with money'.
常見錯誤
close — adverb
1. at a short physical distance from someone or something; not far away in position
at a short physical distance from someone or something; not far away in position
Selim stood close to the stage so he could see the singer clearly.
close to [place] — position near a location
The cat crept close to the bird before pouncing.
Lakshmi's house is close to the train station, only a five-minute walk away.
Stay close to me in the market so we do not get separated.
The children sat close together on the bench, sharing a blanket.
文法句型
close + adv./prep.
close to + noun
用法筆記
Frequently followed by 'to' before a noun phrase. The comparative form 'closer' and the superlative 'closest' are also common.
常見錯誤
2. very near to reaching a particular state, amount, or condition, without quite do
very near to reaching a particular state, amount, or condition, without quite doing so
Takeshi was close to tears when he heard the sad news.
close to + noun of emotional state
The project is close to completion after months of hard work.
We were close to missing the train because of the traffic jam.
Astrid came close to winning the race but finished second.
The temperature today is close to forty degrees Celsius.
- far from
indicates a large gap between the current state and the target
文法句型
close to + noun
close to + -ing verb
come close to + -ing verb
用法筆記
Commonly followed by 'to' plus a noun phrase or gerund. The verb 'come' is often used before 'close' to emphasise approaching a threshold: 'come close to + -ing'.
常見錯誤
3. describing a guess, estimate, or description that is almost but not exactly corr
describing a guess, estimate, or description that is almost but not exactly correct
My guess was close to the actual price of the painting.
close to + noun — guess nearly correct
Christopher's estimate of the cost was remarkably close to the final bill.
The weather forecast was close, though it predicted rain a day later.
Her description of the suspect was close enough to help the police.
Tendai's calculation was close but not exactly the same as the correct answer.
- inaccurate
means not correct at all
- off
informal — 'way off' means nowhere near correct
文法句型
be close to + noun
be close + adjective-free complement
用法筆記
Subject is usually a guess, estimate, description, or comparison. Unlike sense 2 (ALMOST), this sense implies the result is usefully accurate rather than simply near a threshold.
常見錯誤
4. by a very small amount or margin, especially in a competition, election, race, o
by a very small amount or margin, especially in a competition, election, race, or comparison of performance
The election was so close that the final result took days to confirm.
so close — emphasising very narrow margin
Tamar finished close behind the winner, only a second slower.
The game remained close until the last minute of play.
Adisa's score was close to the best in the class, missing by just two points.
The two teams are close in ability, with almost identical win records.
- decisively
by a large margin — the opposite of a narrow result
- easily
with a big gap between competitors
文法句型
be close (in competition)
come close to + -ing verb (competitive context)
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2 (ALMOST): this sense describes competitiveness or narrow margins in contests, not general near-achievement. Unlike adjective sense 'NARROW MARGIN', which describes the contest itself, this adverb sense describes the margin by which something occurs.