Almost vs By - What's the difference?
almost | by |
Very close to, but not quite.
*
, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=5
, passage=Although the Celebrity was almost impervious to sarcasm, he was now beginning to exhibit visible signs of uneasiness, the consciousness dawning upon him that his eccentricity was not receiving the ovation it merited.}}
* , chapter=17
, title= * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
, chapter=9 * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-05-17, author=George Monbiot, authorlink=George Monbiot
, title=Money just makes the rich suffer
, volume=188, issue=23, page=19, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly)
(informal) Something or someone that doesn't quite make it.
Near or next to.
At some time before (the given time), or before the end of a given time interval.
(Indicates the actor in a clause with its verb in the passive voice): Through the action or presence of.
* {{quote-news, year=2011, date=September 28, author=Jon Smith, work=BBC Sport
, title= (Indicates the creator of a work): Existing through the authorship etc. of.
(Indicates the cause of a condition or event): Through the action of, caused by, responsibility for; by dint of.
* 1874 , (Thomas Hardy), (Far from the Madding Crowd) , 2005 Barnes & Noble Classics publication of 1912 Wessex edition, p.109:
(Indicates a means): Involving/using the means of.
*
*:"I don't want to spoil any comparison you are going to make," said Jim, "but I was at Winchester and New College." ¶ "That will do," said Mackenzie. "I was dragged up at the workhouse school till I was twelve. Then I ran away and sold papers in the streets, and anything else that I could pick up a few coppers by —except steal."
(Indicates a source of light): Medium emanating from hot sources.
* 1945 , Neva L. Boyd, Handbook of Recreational Games , 1975 edition, ISBN 0486232042,
* 1960 , , (One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish)
(senseid).
(Indicates the amount of some progression): With a change of.
(Indicates a referenced source): According to.
(Indicates an oath): With the authority of.
Along a path which runs by the speaker.
In the vicinity, near.
* Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness
To or at a place, as a residence or place of business.
Aside, away.
Out of the way, subsidiary.
As nouns the difference between almost and by
is that almost is (informal) something or someone that doesn't quite make it while by is bee (insect).As an adverb almost
is very close to, but not quite.As a verb by is
.almost
English
Alternative forms
* (Jamaican English)Adverb
(-)- Almost all people went there. - Not all but very close to it.
- We almost missed the train. - Not missed but very close to it.
The Mirror and the Lamp, passage=This time was most dreadful for Lilian. Thrown on her own resources and almost penniless, she maintained herself and paid the rent of a wretched room near the hospital by working as a charwoman, sempstress, anything. In a moment she had dropped to the level of a casual labourer.}}
citation, passage=Eustace gaped at him in amazement. When his urbanity dropped away from him, as now, he had an innocence of expression which was almost infantile. It was as if the world had never touched him at all.}}
citation, passage=In order to grant the rich these pleasures, the social contract is reconfigured. […] The public realm is privatised, the regulations restraining the ultra–wealthy and the companies they control are abandoned, and Edwardian levels of inequality are almost fetishised.}}
Synonyms
* nearly, nigh, well-nigh, near, close to, next to, practically, virtuallyNoun
(en noun)- In all the submissions, they found four papers that were clearly worth publishing and another dozen almosts .
Statistics
*Anagrams
* English degree adverbsby
English
(wikipedia by)Alternative forms
* bye (archaic for preposition and adverb, not used for abbreviation, preferred for noun and interjection)Preposition
(English prepositions)Valencia 1-1 Chelsea, passage=Valencia threatened sporadically in the first half with Miguel having a decent effort deflected wide by Ashley Cole, while Jordi Alba's near-post cross was flicked into the sidenetting by Pablo Hernandez.}}
- In other directions the fields and sky were so much of one colour by the snow that it was difficult in a hasty glance to tell whereabouts the horizon occurred.
p.16:
- Players: Can we get there by candlelight? ¶ Gatekeepers: Yes and back again.
- By' the light of the moon, / ' by the light of a star / they walked all night
Derived terms
* bit by bit * by degrees * by dint of * by one's lonesome * by oneself * by means of * by rights * by the book * by the by * by the bye * by the way * by your leave * by way of * do good by * do right by * hard by * side by sideAdverb
(-)- I watched as it passed by .
- There was a shepherd close by .
- The shop is hard by the High Street.
- [The helmsman] steered with no end of a swagger while you were by ; but if he lost sight of you, he became instantly the prey of an abject funk
- I'll stop by on my way home from work.
- We're right near the lifeguard station. Come by before you leave.
- The women spent much time after harvest putting jams by for winter and spring.