almost

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English Vietnamese dictionary

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Advanced English dictionary

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+ adverb
not quite;
Synonym: NEARLY
I like almost all of them. + It's a mistake they almost always make. + The story is almost certainly false. + It's almost time to go. + Dinner's almost ready. + He slipped and almost fell. + Their house is almost opposite ours. + They'll eat almost anything. + Almost no one (hardly anyone) believed him.
WHICH WORD?
almost / nearly / practically
These three words have similar meanings and are used frequently with the following words: almost ~ nearly ~ practically ~
certainly (numbers) all
all all every
every always no
entirely every nothing
impossible finished impossible
empty died anything
They are used in positive sentences: She almost/nearly/practically missed her train. They can be used before words like all, every and everybody:
Nearly all the students have bikes. + I've got practically every CD they've made. Practically is used more in spoken than in written English. Nearly is the most common with numbers:
There were nearly 200 people at the meeting. They can also be used in negative sentences but it is more common to make a positive sentence with only just:
We only just got there in time. (or:
We almost/nearly didn't get there in time.)
Almost and practically can be used before words like any, anybody, anything, etc.: I'll eat almost anything. You can also use them before no, nobody, never, etc. but it is much more common to use hardly or scarcely with any, anybody, ever, etc.:
She's hardly ever in. (or:
She's almost never in.)
Almost can be used when you are saying that one thing is similar to another: The boat looked almost like a toy.
In BrE you can use very and so before nearly: He was very nearly caught.
- note at HARDLY

Thesaurus dictionary

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adv.

nearly, about, approximately, practically, virtually, wellnigh, bordering on, on the brink of, verging on, on the verge of, little short of; not quite, all but; barely, scarcely, hardly; Colloq damn near:

We are almost ready to go. You almost broke the window!

Concise English dictionary

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'ɔːlməʊst
adv.
+(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished