What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Near vs Besides - What's the difference?

near | besides |

In obsolete terms the difference between near and besides

is that near is immediate; direct; close; short while besides is on one side.

As adverbs the difference between near and besides

is that near is having a small intervening distance with regard to something while besides is also; in addition.

As prepositions the difference between near and besides

is that near is close to, in close proximity to while besides is beside.

As a noun near

is the left side of a horse or of a team of horses pulling a carriage etc.

As an adjective near

is physically close.

As a verb near

is to come closer to; to approach.

near

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • The left side of a horse or of a team of horses pulling a carriage etc.
  • Synonyms

    * near side

    Antonyms

    * off side

    See also

    * nearside

    Adjective

    (er)
  • Physically close.
  • * Dryden
  • He served great Hector, and was ever near , / Not with his trumpet only, but his spear.
  • Closely connected or related.
  • * Bible, Leviticus xviii. 12
  • She is thy father's near kinswoman.
  • Close to one's interests, affection, etc.; intimate; dear.
  • a near friend
  • Close to anything followed or imitated; not free, loose, or rambling.
  • a version near to the original
  • So as barely to avoid or pass injury or loss; close; narrow.
  • a near escape
  • (of an event) Approaching.
  • The end is near .
  • Approximate, almost.
  • The two words are near synonyms.
  • (dated) Next to the driver, when he is on foot; (US) on the left of an animal or a team.
  • the near''' ox; the '''near leg
  • (obsolete) Immediate; direct; close; short.
  • * Milton
  • the nearest way
  • (obsolete, slang) Stingy; parsimonious.
  • Antonyms

    * remote

    Derived terms

    * near abroad * near-death experience * near-Earth object * Near East * near infrared * near-minimal pair * near miss * near the knuckle * nearly * nearness

    Adverb

    (er)
  • Having a small intervening distance with regard to something.
  • I'm near -sighted.
  • (colloquial) nearly
  • * 1666 Samuel Pepys Diary and Correspondence (1867)
  • ...he hears for certain that the Queen-Mother is about and hath near finished a peace with France....
  • * 1825 David Hume, Tobias George Smollett The History of England p. 263
  • Sir John Friend had very near completed a regiment of horse.
  • * 2003 Owen Parry Honor's Kingdom p. 365
  • Thinking about those pounds and pence, I near forgot my wound.
  • * 2004 Jimmy Buffett A Salty Piece of Land p. 315, p. 35
  • "I damn near forgot." He pulled an envelope from his jacket.
  • * 2006 Juliet Marillier The Dark Mirror p. 377
  • The fire was almost dead, the chamber near dark.

    Derived terms

    * nearsighted

    Preposition

    (English prepositions)
  • Close to, in close proximity to.
  • * 1820 , (Mary Shelley), :
  • He entered the inn, and asking for dinner, unbuckled his wallet, and sat down to rest himself near the door.
  • * , 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.}}
  • * 1927 , , :
  • It shied, balked, and whinnied, and in the end he could do nothing but drive it into the yard while the men used their own strength to get the heavy wagon near enough the hayloft for convenient pitching.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-08-16, author= John Vidal
  • , volume=189, issue=10, page=8, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Dams endanger ecology of Himalayas , passage=Most of the Himalayan rivers have been relatively untouched by dams near their sources. Now the two great Asian powers, India and China, are rushing to harness them as they cut through some of the world's deepest valleys.}}
  • Close to in time.
  • Usage notes
    Joan Maling (1983) shows that near'' is best analysed as an adjective with which the use of ''to'' is optional, rather than a preposition. It has the comparative and the superlative, and it can be followed by ''enough''. The use of ''to however is usually British.

    Antonyms

    * far from

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To come closer to; to approach.
  • The ship nears the land.

    See also

    * (wikipedia) * para- * nigh

    References

    * Joan Maling (1983), Transitive Adjectives: A Case of Categorial Reanalysis'', in F. Henry and B. Richards (eds.), ''Linguistic Categories: Auxiliaries and Related Puzzles , vol.1, pp. 253-289.

    Statistics

    *

    besides

    English

    Preposition

    (English prepositions)
  • (obsolete) Beside.
  • In addition, in addition to.
  • * 1661 , , The Life of the most learned, reverend and pious Dr. H. Hammond
  • During the whole time of his abode in the university he generally spent thirteen hours of the day in study; by which assiduity besides an exact dispatch of the whole course of philosophy, he read over in a manner all classic authors that are extant
  • * August 3, 2008] - [[w:Schlock Mercenary, Schlock Mercenary]
  • Captain Tagon': Wait. … Ebby, if Schlock goes out make sure he's carrying something '''besides''' those two plasma cannons.
    '''Ebinoth''': When you say "'
    besides
    ," do you mean "in addition to," or "instead of"? Because one of those is a really hard sell.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2012, date=18 April, author=Phil McNulty, work=BBC Sport
  • , title= Chelsea 1-0 Barcelona , passage=n the end, Chelsea's organisation and discipline was rewarded but Di Matteo knows they will have to produce the same - and more besides - in the Nou Camp to confirm a meeting with either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the final in Munich next month.}}
  • Other than; except for; instead of.
  • * August 3, 2008] - [[w:Schlock Mercenary, Schlock Mercenary]
  • Captain Tagon': Wait. … Ebby, if Schlock goes out make sure he's carrying something '''besides''' those two plasma cannons.
    '''Ebinoth''': When you say "'
    besides
    ," do you mean "in addition to," or "instead of"? Because one of those is a really hard sell.

    Adverb

    (-)
  • (conjunctive) also; in addition
  • (conjunctive) moreover; furthermore
  • (conjunctive) otherwise; else
  • (obsolete) On one side.
  • (Shakespeare)

    Synonyms

    * (l)

    See also

    * on top of that

    Usage notes

    ; Not to be confused with * beside English conjunctive adverbs 1000 English basic words