near thing
1
6.6
- noun
- Informal
:
casi desastre
- During the storm, their boat nearly capsized, and it was a near thing that everyone got to safety.
- a very near thing
Examples
-
A near thing.
-
That was a near thing.
-
It had been a very near thing.
Fiction book (1991) -
Off Dark Head, there was a near thing with a barge under tow.
Fiction book (1996) -
Andrew Lawes has survived it, but it was a near thing for a while.
Blog text (16) -
A near thing!
Fiction book (1999) -
The car skidded on the wet road, but it was a near thing when it narrowly missed crashing into the barrier.
-
He realized that failing the exam would be a near thing after forgetting to study.
Synonyms
43
3.7
A situation when something bad almost happens but is avoided
14
3.7
A time when a crash nearly happens but is avoided
Antonyms
How Close
- Informal
3
5.6
- Informal
1
6.6
- Informal
4
3.1
14
3.7
- Informal
43
3.7
Surface Forms
Morphology
The constituent meanings of 'near' (close) and 'thing' (an event/occurrence) give a general sense of something being close, so a learner could infer that the situation was 'close' or 'almost different'. However, the conventionalized, colloquial sense 'a narrow escape' is a specific phrasing that is somewhat idiomatic and not fully predictable from the parts, so learners may not derive the exact nuance without exposure.
Etymology
Near thing may come from a simple picture: the thing, meaning an event, coming very near to happening but stopping just in time. So, a near thing means a 'close call' or 'narrow escape'.