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Almost vs Maybe - What's the difference?

almost | maybe |

In informal terms the difference between almost and maybe

is that almost is something or someone that doesn't quite make it while maybe is a future event that may or may not happen.

As an adjective maybe is

possible; uncertain.

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

    maybe

    English

    (wikipedia maybe)

    Alternative forms

    * (l) (obsolete) * (l) (dialectal)

    Adverb

    (-)
  • (as a pro-sentence ) perhaps that is true (expressing no commitment to a decision or a neutral viewpoint to a statement)

    • Usage notes

    * Do not confuse maybe' with ' may be : "Maybe that's true", but "That may be true"

    Synonyms

    * (perhaps) mayhaps, peradventure, perhaps, possibly * (as a pro-sentence) could be, mayhaps, might be, perhaps, possibly, that’s possible

    Derived terms

    * and I don't mean maybe

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Possible; uncertain.
    • Then add those may-be years thou hast to live ? Dryden.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (informal) Something that is possibly true.
  • (informal) An answer that shows neither agreement nor disagreement.
    • The results of the poll were inconclusive. We got two yeses, three nos, and four maybes.
  • (informal) A future event that may or may not happen.
    • About your raise: it's a big maybe .

    Synonyms

    * perhaps

    Derived terms

    * definite maybe

    Anagrams

    * English hedges English modal adverbs