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Nearer vs Nearby - What's the difference?

nearer | nearby |

As adjectives the difference between nearer and nearby

is that nearer is less distant from (near) while nearby is adjacent, near, very close.

As a preposition nearer

is closer.

As an adverb nearby is

next to, close to.

nearer

English

Adjective

(head)
  • Less distant from. (near).
  • * 1897 , , :
  • The star grew—it grew with a terrible steadiness hour after hour, a little larger each hour, a little nearer the midnight zenith, and brighter and brighter, until it had turned night into a second day.

    Preposition

    (English prepositions)
  • Closer
  • Anagrams

    *

    nearby

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • adjacent, near, very close
  • He stopped at a nearby store for some groceries.

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • next to, close to
  • I'm glad my friends live nearby where I can visit them.

    Usage notes

    Some British writers make the distinction between the adverbial near by'', which is written as two words; and the adjectival ''nearby , which is written as one. In American English, the one-word spelling is standard for both forms.

    Anagrams

    *