ALMOST1 almost a number, time, or amount2 almost all3 when something is almost true4 when you have almost done something or something has almost happened5 when something almost happens but does notRELATED WORDSsee alsoMOST1 almost a number, time, or amount 将近某个数字、时间或数量almost/nearly /ˈɔːlməʊst, ˈnɪəʳli/ [adverb]use this to say that something is a little less than a number or amount, or a little before a particular time. Almost and nearly have the same meaning, but almost is much more common than nearly in American English. In British English both words are common 〔数字、数量或时间上〕将近，差不多，几乎〔美国英语中almost比nearly常用，而英国英语中两者都一样常用〕 I've been a teacher for nearly 10 years now. 我当教师差不多快十年了。 We had money and almost $1000 in traveler's checks. 我们有现金，还有将近1,000美元的旅行支票。 John is three years old and Sally is almost six. 约翰三岁，萨莉快六岁了。very nearly It's very nearly time to go home. 马上就到回家的时候了。not quite /nɒt ˈkwaɪt/ [adverb]use this when you want to emphasize that something is a little less than a number or amount, or a little before a particular time 〔数字、数量或时间上〕不足，不到 ‘Is he 60?’ ‘Not quite!’ “他60岁了吗？”“还没呢！” It's not quite time to go yet. 还未到走的时候。close toalsoclose onBritish /ˈkləʊs tuː, ˈkləʊs ɒn/ [adverb]almost a particular number, amount, especially a surprisingly large one, or almost a particular time, especially a very late time 接近于〔某个很大的数目或数量，或很晚的时候〕 The government spends close to $100 billion a year on education. 政府一年花在教育上的开支将近一千亿美元。 There must be close to a hundred people in the hall. 礼堂里肯定有近百人。 We drove close on 500 miles Saturday. 星期六我们开车开了将近500英里。 It was close on midnight by the time they got home. 他们到家的时候都快半夜了。approaching/nearing /əˈprəʊtʃɪŋ, ˈnɪərɪŋ/ [adverb]almost a particular number, amount, time etc, and still increasing or getting nearer to that number, amount, time etc 将近〔某数目、数量、时间等，而且在继续增长或接近〕 In the North East, the unemployment rate is now nearing 20 percent. 在东北部，失业率现已接近20%。be fast approachingvery nearly a particular time 快接近〔某时间〕 By now the winter was fast approaching, and further travel would soon be inadvisable. 这时候，冬天即将来临，很快就不宜继续前行了。getting on for /ˌgetɪŋ ˈɒn fɔːʳ/British informalto be almost a particular time, age, or period of time 【英，非正式】将近〔某数目、数量、时间〕it's getting on for something It's getting on for 10 years since we last saw each other. 自上次见面之后，我们快有十年没见面了。 It must be getting on for lunch time. I'm starving. 准是快到午饭时间了，我饿极了。somebody is getting on for 40, 50 etcuse this when guessing an older person's age 某人接近40/50岁等〔用于猜测较年长者的年龄〕 ‘How old's Diane?’ ‘She must be getting on for 50.’ “黛安娜多大年纪了？”“她肯定快50了吧。”be pushing 40/50 etc /biː ˌpʊʃɪŋ ˈfɔːʳti/ [verb phrase]informalto be almost forty, fifty etc - use this when you are guessing an older person's age 【非正式】将近40岁/50岁等〔用于猜测较年长者的年龄〕 Burt's probably pushing 50 by now. 伯特现在可能快50岁了。2 almost all 几乎全部almost/nearly /ˈɔːlməʊst, ˈnɪəʳli/ [adverb]almost all/every/everything/everyone Almost all the wine had been drunk. 几乎所有的酒都被喝完了。 The burglars took nearly everything in the house that was of any value. 窃贼把屋里任何值钱不值钱的东西都几乎全偷走了。 Almost everyone in the office has had the flu this year. 今年办公室里几乎每个人都得过流感。practically/virtually /ˈpræktɪkli, ˈvɜːʳtʃuəli/ [adverb]practically all/everything/everyone etcvery nearly all 几乎全部/一切/每个人等 The frost killed practically every plant in the garden. 霜几乎把花园里的所有植物都冻死了。 Virtually everyone had gone home. 几乎每个人都回家了。just about/more or less/pretty much /ˌdʒʌst əˈbaʊt, ˌmɔːr əʳ ˈles, ˈprɪti mʌtʃ/ [adverb]especially spokenjust about all/everything/everyone etcvery nearly all - use this when saying that the difference is not important 差不多全部/一切/每个人等〔用于表示区别不大〕 I've packed pretty much everything I need for the trip. 我把旅途中需要的东西差不多全都收拾好了。 It rains more or less every day here in November. 到了11月，这里几乎天天下雨。 Sonya knew more or less everyone at the party. 聚会上的人，索尼娅差不多每个都认识。 She's travelled in just about every country in Europe. 欧洲各国她几乎全都游历过了。 The second-hand shop on the corner sells just about anything. 街角的那个旧货店差不多什么都卖。3 when something is almost true 某事几乎是真实的almost/nearly /ˈɔːlməʊst, ˈnɪəʳli/ His hair was almost white. 他的头发几乎全白了。 The moon was almost full that night. 那晚，月亮几乎是满月。 Persuading Paul to change his mind is nearly impossible. 要说服保罗改变主意几乎是不可能的。not quite /nɒt ˈkwaɪt/ [adverb]not completely, but almost - use this to say that something is not true, but it is almost true 不完全地〔用于表示某事不正确，但差不多正确〕 That's a good answer but it's not quite correct. 答得很好，但还没有完全答对。 It's not quite red, it's more like a maroon color. 这不完全是红色，更有点像褐紫色。 The orbits of the planets are almost circular, but not quite. 行星的轨道几乎是圆的，但不完全是。practically/virtually /ˈpræktɪkli, ˈvɜːʳtʃuəli/ [adverb]very nearly 几乎，差不多 The cupboard was practically empty. 碗橱几乎空了。 Carbon fibre tennis racquets are virtually unbreakable. 碳纤维网球拍几乎是牢不可破的。 She looks practically the same as his last girlfriend. 她长得和他上个女友几乎一模一样。more or less/just about/pretty much /ˌmɔːr əʳ ˈles, ˌdʒʌst əˈbaʊt, ˈprɪti mʌtʃ/ [adverb]especially spokenvery nearly - use this when saying that the difference is not important 【尤口】几乎，差不多〔用于表示区别不大〕 All the rooms are more or less the same size. 所有的房间都差不多大小。 His jacket was pretty much the same colour as his trousers. 他的外套和裤子颜色差不多。 Until the 18th century, the region remained more or less independent. 18世纪以前，这个地区几乎是独立的。be close /biː ˈkləʊs/ [verb phrase]if a guess at a number, amount etcis close, it is almost correct but not exactly right 〔对数字、数量等的猜测〕接近，差不多正确 ‘I reckon he's about 65.’ ‘You're close - he's 67.’ “我猜他65岁左右。”“差不多一他67岁了。”〕4 when you have almost done something or something has almost happened 几乎做完某事，或某事差不多已发生almost/nearly /ˈɔːlməʊst, ˈnɪəʳli/ [adverb] I've almost finished reading the newspaper. 我快看完报纸了。 It was early 1945, and the war had nearly ended. 那是1945年初，战争已接近尾声。just about/more or less/pretty much /ˌdʒʌst əˈbaʊt, ˌmɔːr əʳ ˈles, ˈprɪti mʌtʃ/ [adverb]especially spokennot completely or exactly, but almost - use this when the difference is not important 【尤口】几乎，差不多〔用于表示区别不大〕 Hanson's acting career appears to be pretty much over. 汉森的演艺生涯似乎差不多已走到尽头。 I had more or less convinced her that I was telling the truth. 我差不多已经使她相信，我说的是真话。practically/virtually /ˈpræktɪkli, ˈvɜːʳtʃuəli/ [adverb]almost completely 几乎，差不多 Communist parties have practically disappeared in Europe. 这些政党在欧洲几乎已销声匿迹。 Mexico's rainforest has been virtually destroyed. 墨西哥的热带雨林几乎全被破坏了。not quite /nɒt ˈkwaɪt/ [adverb]not completely, but almost - use this to say that something has not happened, but that it almost has 不完全地〔用于表示某事尚未发生，但是快发生了〕not quite done/finished etc She hasn't quite finished her homework yet. 她还没有完全做好功课。 Give me five minutes - I'm not quite ready. 给我五分钟时间—我还没完全准备好呢。all but /ˈɔːl bət/ [adverb]all but over/finished/donevery nearly finished or done 几乎过去/结束/完成 By now the war was all but over. 那个时候，战争即将结束。 ‘Can we go home now?’ ‘Just one moment - I've all but finished my work.’ “我们现在可以回家了吗？”“等一会儿—我马上就干完。”nearing/approaching/close to /ˈnɪərɪŋ, əˈprəʊtʃɪŋ, ˈkləʊs tuː/ [adverb]almost at or in a particular situation, especially an extreme one 几近，接近〔某种情形，尤指接近极端〕 The police describe the situation as approaching crisis proportions. 警方说事态已几近危急。 Dr Dunstable was in a state nearing nervous collapse. 邓斯特布尔博士快要精神崩溃了。 I felt close to tears as I read Vera's letter. 我看着维拉的信，眼泪都快涌出来了。be on the verge/brink of /biː ɒn ðə ˈvɜːʳdʒ, ˈbrɪŋk ɒv/ [verb phrase]to be very close to an extremely bad situation 濒于，即将，在…的边缘 The two countries are on the brink of war. 两国之间战争一触即发。be on the verge of tears/death/hysteria etc Kerry is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. 克里精神濒于崩溃。5 when something almost happens but does not 某事差一点发生，但并没有发生almost/nearly /ˈɔːlməʊst, ˈnɪəʳli/ [adverb] I was laughing so hard I almost fell out of my chair. 我笑得差一点从椅子上掉下来。 The terrorists almost succeeded in blowing up the President's limousine. 恐怖分子差一点就炸掉了总统的轿车。very nearly She was very lucky. She very nearly lost her life. 她非常幸运，差一点就没命了。come close to/come near to /kʌm ˈkləʊs tuː, kʌm ˈnɪəʳ tuː/ [verb phrase]to almost do something or almost be in a particular state 几乎〔做某事〕；接近〔某种状况〕come close/near to doing something She was so angry that she came very close to walking out of the meeting. 她气得差点儿就走出会议室。 Dad came near to changing his mind about lending me the car. 爸爸差一点就改变主意不借车给我了。be close/near to something The negotiations were very near to breaking down. 谈判几近破裂。come within an inch/inches of /ˌkʌm wɪðɪn ən ˈɪntʃ, ˈɪntʃz ɒv/ [verb phrase]to very nearly do something, especially something dangerous or unpleasant 险些儿〔尤指做出危险或不愉快的事〕come within inches of death Coulson came within inches of death on a climbing trip in the Himalayas last year. 库尔森去年攀登喜马拉雅山时险些送命。come within an inch of doing something Manchester United came within an inch of losing the game. 曼彻斯特联队险些输掉比赛。narrowly /ˈnærəʊli/ [adverb]narrowly avoid/miss/escape etcto avoid something unpleasant or dangerous, although you almost do not avoid it 勉强地躲过〔不愉快或危险的事情〕 Flying into the airport at Lima, we narrowly avoided a collision with another plane. 飞进利马机场时，我们差一点就撞上了另一架飞机。 The article says Meyers narrowly escaped arrest in Rome last month. 这篇文章说，上个月迈耶斯在罗马差一点就落网。narrow [adjective only before noun] A woman and child had a very narrow escape they were almost killed when their car hit a tree near Hartford last night. 昨晚在哈特福德附近，一名女子和一名儿童死里逃生，当时他们的汽车撞到一棵树上。close shave /ˌkləʊs ˈʃeɪv/ [countable noun]a situation in which someone is almost killed or injured 死里逃生 Mike's had two motorcycle accidents, plus a few other pretty close shaves. 迈克两次遭遇摩托车事故，另外还有几次死里逃生的经历。be a near thing/close thing /biː ə ˌnɪəʳ ˈθɪŋ, ˌkləʊs ˈθɪŋ/ [verb phrase]Britishif something that you succeed in doingis a near thing ora close thing you succeed in doing it, but only at the last moment 【英】险些没有成功 The Labour party won the election, but it was a very near thing. 工党当选，但是赢得真险。 Security forces managed to free the hostages, but it was a very close thing. 安全部队设法救了人质，但那真是虎口余生啊。that was close /ˌðæt wəz ˈkləʊs/spokensay this when something bad very nearly happens but does not, especially when this is the result of good luck 【口】真险，好险 The guard began to search the pile of leaves where we were hiding, but then got distracted by a noise from the house. ‘Phew, that was close!’ said John. ‘C'mon, let's get out of here!’ 卫兵开始搜查我们正躲着的那堆树叶，这时屋里的一个声音使他们分了神。“唷，好险啊！”约翰说道，“快，我们快离开这儿！”