Phrase guide

next to

adv · prep · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • nĕkst′ to͞o′ stressed form
  • unstressed: -tə
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈnɛkst ˌtuː/ stressed form
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈnekst ˌtuː/
  • Received-Pronunciation, unstressed: /-tə/
  • Canada, General-American: /ˈnɛkst ˌtu/ stressed form
  • Canada, General-American, unstressed: /-tə/
  • Australian, New-Zealand: /ˈnekst ˌtʉː/ stressed form
  • Australian, New-Zealand, unstressed: /-tə/
  • Scotland: /ˈnɛkst ˌtʉ/ stressed form
  • Scotland, unstressed: /-tə/
  • Scotland: /-tʌ/
  • India: /ˈnɛ(ː)ksʈ ˌʈuː/ stressed form
  • India, unstressed: /-ʈo/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

adv

Meaning 1

Almost; nearly, well-nigh.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • It is next to impossible to get him to admit it, but he writes very well.
  • The job paid next to nothing.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

prep

Meaning 2

Beside, alongside, by, adjacent to, or near.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Would you mind if I sit next to you?
  • Cleanliness is next to godliness.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

prep

Meaning 3

Immediately after, in choice or consideration; aside from.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

prep

Meaning 4

Compared to, in comparison with.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

73 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: krahas — beside; alongside
  • Gheg Albanian: skejd — beside; alongside
  • Arabic: بُالْقُرب مِن (bi-l-qurb min) — beside; alongside
  • Arabic: بِجَانِب (bijānib) — beside; alongside
  • Arabic: جنب (ganb) — beside; alongside
  • Arabic: جنب (janb) — beside; alongside
  • Azerbaijani: yanında — beside; alongside
  • Azerbaijani: yaxınlığında — beside; alongside
  • Belarusian: побач поруч (póbač) — beside; alongside
  • Bulgarian: до (do) — beside; alongside
  • Catalan: al costat — beside; alongside
  • Chinese Cantonese: ......側邊 /......侧边 (zak1 bin1) — beside; alongside
  • Chinese Cantonese: ......隔籬 /......隔篱 (gaak3 lei4) — beside; alongside
  • Chinese Mandarin: ...旁邊 /旁边 (pángbiān) — beside; alongside
  • Chinese Mandarin: ...比鄰 /比邻 (bǐlín) — beside; alongside
  • Czech: vedle — beside; alongside
  • Danish: ved siden af — beside; alongside
  • Dutch: naast — beside; alongside
  • Esperanto: apud — beside; alongside
  • Finnish: ...-n vieressä — beside; alongside
  • Finnish: ...-n vierellä — beside; alongside
  • French: à côté de — beside; alongside
  • Galician: a carón de — beside; alongside
  • Galician: onda — beside; alongside
  • German: neben — beside; alongside
  • Greek: δίπλα σε (dípla se) — beside; alongside
  • Hebrew: לְיַד (leyád) — beside; alongside
  • Hebrew: עַל יַד ('al yad) — beside; alongside
  • Hindi: ... के पास (... ke pās) — beside; alongside
  • Hindi: ... के नज़दीक (... ke nazdīk) — beside; alongside
  • Ido: apud — beside; alongside
  • Indonesian: di samping — beside; alongside
  • Ingrian: rinnaal — beside; alongside
  • Interlingua: juxta — beside; alongside
  • Irish: in aice le — beside; alongside
  • Italian: vicino a — beside; alongside
  • Japanese: ...の隣 (...no tonari) — beside; alongside
  • Korean: 옆에 (yeope) — beside; alongside
  • Central Kurdish: لەبن (lebin) — beside; alongside
  • Northern Kurdish: li rex — beside; alongside
  • Latin: secundum — beside; alongside
  • Latin: iuxta — beside; alongside
  • Maltese: maġenb — beside; alongside
  • Khiamniungan Naga: thákó — beside; alongside
  • Norwegian Bokmål: ved siden av — beside; alongside
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: attmed — beside; alongside
  • Pashto: څنګ ته (tseng të) — beside; alongside
  • Persian: کنار (kenâr-e) — beside; alongside
  • Persian: پهلوی (pahlu-ye) — beside; alongside
  • Polish: obok — beside; alongside
  • Portuguese: ao lado de — beside; alongside
  • Portuguese: do lado de — beside; alongside
  • Romanian: lângă — beside; alongside
  • Russian: о́коло (ókolo) — beside; alongside
  • Serbo-Croatian: pored — beside; alongside
  • Serbo-Croatian: kraj — beside; alongside
  • Serbo-Croatian: pokraj — beside; alongside
  • Lower Sorbian: pódla — beside; alongside
  • Spanish: junto a — beside; alongside
  • Spanish: al lado de — beside; alongside
  • Spanish: cabe — beside; alongside
  • Swedish: bredvid — beside; alongside
  • Thai: ติดกับ (dtìt gàp) — beside; alongside
  • Ukrainian: поруч (poruč) — beside; alongside
  • Ukrainian: по́ряд (pórjad) — beside; alongside
  • Urdu: ... کے پاس (... ke pās) — beside; alongside
  • Urdu: ... کے نزدیک (... ke nazdīk) — beside; alongside
  • Urdu: کے بغل میں (ke baġal mẽ) — beside; alongside
  • Welsh: ar bwys — beside; alongside
  • Welsh: ger — beside; alongside
  • Yoruba: lẹ́gbẹ̀ẹ́ — beside; alongside
  • Zazaki: nabên — beside; alongside
  • Zazaki: kısta — beside; alongside