nearness

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

Proximity without touching

Nouns

1. nearness, closeness, proximity, propinquity, apposition, approximation, vicinity, neighborhood, adjacency; approach, convergence; likeness, similarity. See futurity.

2. short distance, step, or way; shortcut; earshot; close-up, close quarters, close range, stone's throw, hair's-breadth; span.

3. purlieus, neighborhood, vicinage, environs, suburbs, outskirts, confines, borderland. See environment.

4. bystander, neighbor; abutter, tangent (see contact). Informal, tailgater.

Verbs

1. adjoin, hang about, touch or border on, verge upon; stand by, approximate, tread on the heels of, cling to, clasp, hug; hover over.

2. near, draw or come near, approach; converge, crowd, press. Informal, tailgate.

Adjectives — near, nigh, close or near at hand; close, neighboring; adjacent, adjoining, proximate; impending, imminent, oncoming, at [close] hand, handy; near the mark; intimate, close to home.

Adverbs

1. near, nigh; hard, close, or fast by; close to, at the point of; within reach, call, or earshot, next door to, within an ace or inch of, on hand, at one's door[step], at one's elbow, but a step, not far from, at no great distance; on the verge or brink of; on the outskirts, in the neighborhood of, in the offing, around the corner, at one's fingertips, on the tip of one's tongue, under one's nose, on one's heels, in one's pocket; within a stone's throw, in sight of, at close quarters; cheek by jowl; beside, alongside, side by side, tête-à-tête; in juxtaposition, at the threshold, bordering upon, in the way.

2. nearly, almost, about, thereabouts, circa, or so; roughly, in round numbers; approximately, more or less, as good as, well nigh; all but.

Quotations — Stand by thyself, come not near me: for I am holier than thou (Bible).

Antonyms, see distance.

II

(Roget's IV) n.

1. [Nearness in time or space]

Syn. closeness, contiguity, adjacency, proximity, propinquity, vicinity, vicinage, approximation, approach, intimacy, resemblance, likeness, handiness, close quarters, imminence, immediacy, loom, threat, menace, prospectiveness; see also neighborhood , similarity .

Ant. distance*, remoteness, difference.

2. [Nearness in feeling]

Syn. familiarity, dearness, intimacy; see admiration , affection 1 , friendship 2 .

III

(Roget's Thesaurus II) noun The act or fact of coming near: approach, coming, convergence, imminence. See APPROACH.