next to

1 of 2

preposition

Synonyms of next tonext
1
: immediately following or adjacent to
2
: in comparison to
next to you I'm wealthy

next to

2 of 2

adverb

: very nearly : almost
it was next to impossible to see in the fog

Synonyms of next to

Relevance

Preposition

Adverb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of next to in a Sentence

Preposition enjoys living next to the ocean next to the war, the flagging economy was the biggest campaign issue Adverb bought it for next to nothing
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Preposition
And then on Sunday, next to Granada’s imposing Alhambra fortress, Kuss — providing there are no nasty surprises — will complete his third Grand Tour in a row. — Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026 Since low-energy X-rays and ultraviolet light are next to each other on the electromagnetic spectrum, Muhibullah and his team suspect that the low-energy X-rays are spillover from objects emitting prodigious amounts of ultraviolet. — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 11 Sep. 2026
Adverb
The Bristol Bar Conveniently located next to all the Matignon galleries, The Bristol is the hotel of choice for many modish art world folks who leave Le Meurice and the Ritz to a slightly older generation. — Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 22 Oct. 2026 Set the scene Sensoria Dolomites sits on the edge of the Alpe di Siusi at the foot of the majestic Sciliar/Schlern massif and its jagged mountain peaks, next to the Frötschbach River. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for next to

Word History

First Known Use

Preposition

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

1596, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of next to was in the 14th century

Rhymes for next to

See All Rhymes for next to

Browse Nearby Words

next of kin
next to
next to last
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Next to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/next%20to. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

next to

1 of 2 preposition
: immediately following : being close to
next to the head of her class

next to

2 of 2 adverb
: very nearly : almost
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All