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Almost vs Exactly - What's the difference?

almost | exactly |

As adverbs the difference between almost and exactly

is that almost is very close to, but not quite while exactly is without approximation; precisely.

As a noun almost

is something or someone that doesn't quite make it.

As an interjection exactly is

Signifies agreement or recognition

almost

English

Alternative forms

* (Jamaican English)

Adverb

(-)
  • Very close to, but not quite.
    • Almost all people went there. - Not all but very close to it.
    We almost missed the train. - Not missed but very close to it.
  • *
    • , 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= 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.}}
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
    • , chapter=9 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.}}
  • * {{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) 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, virtually

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (informal) Something or someone that doesn't quite make it.
    • In all the submissions, they found four papers that were clearly worth publishing and another dozen almosts .

    Statistics

    *

    Anagrams

    * English degree adverbs

    exactly

    English

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • (manner) without approximation; precisely.
    • Measure exactly so we can be sure it is right.
    The edge is not exactly straight.
  • (focus) Used to provide emphasis.
    • It was exactly an Eastern gray squirrel.
    He divided the coins exactly in half.
    He did it that way exactly to prove the point.
    His complaint was exactly that she failed to meet the deadline by four days.

    Antonyms

    * approximately

    Interjection

    (en interjection)
  • (Signifies agreement or recognition)
    • So you're saying that we have only three days left? / Yes, exactly !