close (klos)

 

Use "close" as an adjective to describe a distance that is not far away. You can also use "close" to describe relationships between people. Don’t confuse this word with the word "close." (The "s" is pronounced with a "z" sound.)

• Ted feels very close to his mother.
• They have a close relationship.
• Mary doesn’t feel close enough to anyone at work to talk about some problems she’s having.
• Henrietta has a close relationship with God.

The word "close" is often used to describe the outcome of an event or a result:

• The basketball game was very close. The final score was 89 to 90.
• We almost got hit by that other car. That was too close!
• The election results are probably going to be close. A winner won’t be announced for another few days.

This word is often used to describe nearness in time and space.

• The library is very close. It’s just down the street.
• We’re getting close to our destination. (We’re almost there.)
• Today’s temperature will be close to 100 degrees.
• William is close to retirement. He’s 64 years old.

When you get close to something and take a picture of it, you can call it a "close-up" shot.

This is a close-up shot of an alligator:

Click here to learn more words.

August 19, 2014