close

A1 Topic:Describing Qualities

Also spelled clost

US /kloʊz/ UK /kləʊz/ See IPA manual

Homophones

cloze /kloʊz/

Minimal pairs

Sounds like clothe /ð/ vs /z/

Freq #423

Meanings

1

adj
Near in space or time.

My school is close to the train station.
2

adj
Knowing and liking someone very well.

She is very close to her younger sister.
3

adj
Almost equal, with no clear winner.

It was a close game, decided in the last minute.
4

adv
At a short distance away.

Stay close so you don't get lost in the crowd.
5

adj
Staying very near the original.

This is a close translation of the French poem.

Word forms

The same word in different grammatical forms.

Adjective

Base form: close
The shop is close to our house.
Comparative: closer
The new shop is closer to our house.
Superlative: closest
This is the closest shop.

Use the comparative to compare two things or actions. Use the superlative for the highest or lowest degree in a group.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

3 adj · almost equal, with no clear... tight

4 adv · at a short distance away. tight

5 adj · staying very near the... faithful

More end finale intimate muggy near nearby oppressive

Opposites

aloof beginning cool distant far faraway open remote start

Word family

Derived forms autocloseclosableclose-bodiedclose-coupledclose-croppedclose-fightsclose-fistedclose-fittingclose-hauledclose-knitclose-midclose-minded

Related forms clause

Appears in

Phrases (18)

See all

close a shop
To permanently or temporarily shut a shop

Verb + noun
close a store
To shut down a retail shop permanently or for a period

Verb + noun
close a window
To shut a window so that air can no longer pass through

Verb + noun
close one's mouth
to press the lips together

Verb + noun
close the door
to shut a door so that the gap is sealed

Verb + noun
close your eyes
to shut your eyes

Verb + noun

Proverbs (6)

See all

Etymology

From Middle English closen (“to close, enclose”), partly continuing (in altered form) earlier Middle English clusen (“to close”) from Old English clȳsan (“to close, shut”); compare beclose, foreclose, etc.), and partly derived from Middle English clos (“close, shut up, confined, secret”, adjective), from Old French clos (“close, confined”, adjective), from Latin clausus (“shut up”, past participle), from claudere (“to bar, block, close, enclose, bring an end to, confine”), from Proto-Indo-European *kleh₂w- (“key, hook, nail”), related to Latin clāvis (“key, deadbolt, bar”), clāvus (“nail, peg”…

*(s)kleh₂w- Proto-Indo-European closen Middle English clusen Middle English clȳsan Old English clos Middle English clausus Latin *kleh₂w- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# close

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** adj, adv
**IPA (US):** /kloʊz/
**IPA (UK):** /kləʊz/
**Frequency rank:** 423

## Meanings
1. Near in space or time.
2. Knowing and liking someone very well.
3. Almost equal, with no clear winner.
4. At a short distance away.
5. Staying very near the original.

## Examples
- My school is close to the train station.
- She is very close to her younger sister.
- It was a close game, decided in the last minute.
- Stay close so you don't get lost in the crowd.
- This is a close translation of the French poem.

## Synonyms
- end
- finale
- intimate
- muggy
- near
- nearby
- oppressive

## Antonyms
- aloof
- beginning
- cool
- distant
- far
- faraway
- open
- remote
- start

## Derived Forms
- autoclose
- closable
- close-bodied
- close-coupled
- close-cropped
- close-fights
- close-fisted
- close-fitting
- close-hauled
- close-knit
- close-mid
- close-minded

## Related Forms
- clause

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *(s)kleh₂w-
- Root: closen
- Root: clusen
- Root: clȳsan
- Root: clos
- Root: clausus
- Root: *kleh₂w-

## Etymology
From Middle English closen (“to close, enclose”), partly continuing (in altered form) earlier Middle English clusen (“to close”) from Old English clȳsan (“to close, shut”); compare beclose, foreclose, etc.), and partly derived from Middle English clos (“close, shut up, confined, secret”, adjective), from Old French clos (“close, confined”, adjective), from Latin clausus (“shut up”, past participle), from claudere (“to bar, block, close, enclose, bring an end to, confine”), from Proto-Indo-European *kleh₂w- (“key, hook, nail”), related to Latin clāvis (“key, deadbolt, bar”), clāvus (“nail, peg”…

## AI Etymology
close is an adverb and adjective. It is from Middle English closen (“to close, enclose”), partly continuing (in altered form) earlier Middle English clusen (“to close”) from Old English clȳsan (“to close, shut”); compare beclose, foreclose, etc. Historical forms in the chain include *(s)kleh₂w- (Proto-Indo-European), closen (Middle English), clusen (Middle English), clȳsan (Old English), ..., clausus (Latin), and *kleh₂w- (Proto-Indo-European). Current senses include near in space or time, knowing and liking someone very well, and almost equal, with no clear winner. Derived forms include autoclose, closable, close-bodied, close-coupled, and close-cropped. Related words include clause.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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