| 单词 | thesaurus/articles/not-completely |
| 释义 | Thesaurus article:not completelynot completelyThese words are all used to talk about making progress towards a goal or a state but not completely reaching that goal or state. The most common word for this, and the word with the broadest use, isalmost.Almostis used to say that you have made significant progress towards a state, action, event, or goal, but that you have not completely achieved it. In this use,almostcan be used with negative words likenoandnever. Whenalmostis used to describe something that can be measured, like an amount, a time, a level, etc., it means that it is only a little less than the stated amount, time, level, etc. We need to hurry up - it's almost time to go. Stock prices are almost at an all-time high. We've almost no confidence in his ability to lead. I almost never cry in public. Another very common word for this isnearly.Nearlyis slightly more formal thanalmost, but is very common in both spoken and written use. Likealmost, when it is used of something you can measure,nearlyusually means that it is only a little bit less than the amount, level, or number stated. It cannot be used with negative words likenoornever. It's nearly midnight. We've raised nearly £60,000 for charity tonight. Dinner is nearly ready. Action is packed into nearly every scene of the film. Unlikenearly, the adverbnearcan only be used when you are talking about a state or condition. He was near tears(= almost crying). Aboutis also used to say that you have made a lot of progress towards completing a task or achieving a goal.Aboutis more informal thannearly, and can be used in the phrasejust aboutto emphasize that you are very close to completing or reaching your goal. Are you about ready to leave? I've about had it with you! I've just about finished painting the house. Whenaboutis used to refer to numbers, amounts, etc., it means more or less than the stated number, amount, etc. For more synonyms ofabout, see the article atapproximately. The phraseall butis used to mean that you have almost reached a certain state, but in a negative way. The concert was all but over by the time we arrived. He was a great footballer in his day, but now he's all but forgotten. You can also use the wordwell-nighin this way. It was well-nigh impossible to get a person on the phone these days. If you want to emphasize how close you are to being in a particular state, you can use the adverbspracticallyorvirtually.Virtuallyis a little more formal thanpractically. The builders said it is practically impossible to do the work that quickly. Don't say such nasty things about her - she's practically family! The laws around this have remained virtually unchanged for hundreds of years. There are several phrases you can use instead ofalmost. If youcome within an inch ofsomething, or, in UK English, youcome within a whisker ofdoing something, you almost do that thing or that thing almost happens to you. These phrases are both used when the thing that almost happens is exciting or dangerous. She slipped down the mountainside and came within an inch of dying. UKHe spoke in support of the strike and came within a whisker of being fired. If you areon the verge ofsomething, you have almost done that thing or you have almost reached that state or goal. Scientists are on the verge of finding a cure. He was on the verge of hysteria. If you want to say that someone or something is very close to being a particular way, you can use the idiomas good asto describe their progress.As good asimplies that so much progress has been made towards a state or a goal that you cannot change or stop making progress now. The contract is as good as signed. With Congress refusing to convene, the bill is as good as dead. The adverbjustis close in meaning toalmost, but is used when you have reached a goal but only by the smallest amount. She just got there in time. We only just found out. |
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英汉词典包含213609条英汉翻译词条，涵盖了常用英语单词及词组短语的翻译及用法，是英语学习的必备工具。