1 : near in space : not far away or distant
▪ We're not there yet, but we're getting close. ▪ We stood close together to stay warm. — often + to ▪ New York is much closer to Chicago than it is to Los Angeles. ▪ Don't get too close to the fire. ▪ Stay close to me, children! ▪ Let's try to sit close to the front. ▪ The trees were planted in close proximity to [=near] the building. ▪ The gun is made for shooting at close range. [=from a short distance] ▪ We were able to observe their behavior at close quarters. [=from a short distance] ▪ Over 200 people lived in close quarters [=very close together] on the ship. — see also close encounter at ²encounter 2 : near in time
▪ Christmas is getting closer and will soon be here. ▪ She had her two children very close together. [=her second child was born soon after her first] — often + to ▪ You shouldn't snack so close to dinnertime. ▪ It's getting close to midnight. ▪ My birthday is close to Thanksgiving. 3 not used before a noun : very similar : almost the same
▪ Their daughters are close in age. ▪ close in size and shape — often + to ▪ a sound close to the sound of breaking glass ▪ He bears a close resemblance to his father. [=he looks very much like his father] 4 not used before a noun : almost correct
▪ “I'd guess that you're 29 years old.” “You're close. I'm 30.” ▪ It's not exactly right, but it's close. ▪ You're way off! Not even close! [=you are completely wrong] ◊The informal phrase close but no cigar is used to say that a guess was almost correct or that an effort was almost good enough.
▪ “Was I right?” “Close, but no cigar.” ▪ We were close but no cigar. 5 a — used to say that someone or something has almost reached a particular condition — + to ▪ He was close to death when they brought him to the hospital. ▪ These rare birds are close to extinction. ▪ His reply left her close to tears. [=his reply almost made her cry]
b : almost doing something — + to ▪ She was close to crying. ▪ The bridge came dangerously close to collapsing. [=the bridge almost collapsed] 6 — used to say that something bad almost happened ▪ That was close! We almost missed our plane. ▪ That was a close one. [=close call, close shave] — see also too close for comfort at ¹comfort 7 — used to describe the people you are most directly related to (such as your parents, children, sisters, brothers, etc.) ▪ She had no close relatives nearby. ▪ We're only inviting close family members to our wedding. — compare distant 8 — used to describe people who know each other very well and care about each other very much ▪ They were close friends in high school, but they've since grown apart. ▪ My sister and I have always been very close. ▪ We have a very close relationship. — often + to ▪ We've always felt very close to each other. ▪ He's very close to his grandparents. 9 : connected in a direct way
▪ Sources close to the president say that he is willing to make a deal. ▪ She stays in close touch/contact with her friends back home. ▪ Authorities claim he has close ties to terrorist organizations. — sometimes used figuratively ▪ This idea lies close to the heart of Democracy. [=it has an important connection to Democracy] ▪ Animal rights is a cause that is close to my heart. [=I care very much about animal rights] 10 : very careful, complete, or precise
▪ It's important to pay close attention to the details. ▪ Take a closer look at the evidence. ▪ On closer examination, it appeared that something was missing. ▪ We worked under the close supervision of a trained professional. ▪ a close study of the Greek classics ▪ a close reading of a text ▪ Keep (a) close watch on the baby. = Keep a close eye on the baby. [=watch the baby closely] 11 — used to describe a race, contest, game, etc., in which one person, group, or team defeats the other or is leading the other by only a small amount ▪ That was a close game. We only beat them by one point. ▪ It was the closest election in recent history. ▪ a close race ▪ At this point, the election is too close to call. [=it is not clear who will win] ◊When you are a close second, there is a small difference between you and the winner.
▪ Vanilla is the most popular flavor while chocolate is/finishes/runs a close second. ▪ She won the race while her teammate came in a close second. [=her teammate finished soon after her] 12 : very short or near to the skin
▪ a close haircut/shave 13 : fitting tightly : having no extra space
▪ I think there's enough room in the car for all of us, but it'll be a close [=tight] fit. — see also close-fitting 14 : warm in an uncomfortable way : not having enough fresh air
▪ It's very close in here: let's open a window.