{
    "term": "close",
    "partOfSpeech": "adjective",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "a2",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "near in space or time",
            "sensetop": "close to somebody/somethingclose together",
            "cefr": "a2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "I had no idea the beach was so close."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Our new house is close to the school.",
                    "contextForm": "close to somebody/something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The children are close to each other in age."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She is looking for a job **closer to home**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The tables were too close together.",
                    "contextForm": "close together"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Their birthdays are very close together."
                },
                {
                    "text": "This is the closest we can get to the beach by car."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We all have to work **in close proximity** *(= near each other)*."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Victory was tantalizingly close."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "verbs": ["be", "come", "draw"],
                "adverb": ["extremely", "remarkably", "very"],
                "preposition": ["to"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "knowing somebody very well and liking them very much",
            "sensetop": "close to somebody",
            "cefr": "b1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Jo is a very **close friend**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She is very close to her father.",
                    "contextForm": "close to somebody"
                },
                {
                    "text": "She and her father are very close."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We're a very close family."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The two sisters seemed very close."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He was quite close to his older brother."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Family and relationships"],
            "collocations": {
                "verbs": ["be", "feel", "seem"],
                "adverb": ["very", "quite"],
                "preposition": ["to"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "near in family relationship",
            "cefr": "b1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "**close relatives**, such as your mother and father, and brothers and sisters"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The groom and his close family took their places."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 4,
            "definition": "very involved in the work or activities of somebody else, usually seeing and talking to them regularly",
            "cefr": "b1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "She has kept in **close contact** with the victims' families."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They have forged a **close** working **relationship**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "a retired army general with **close ties** to the military"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The college has close links with many other institutions."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We work in close association with the ministry."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Their survival depends on close cooperation."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Even their **closest allies **were shocked by the move."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He is one of the prime minister's closest advisers."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We are in close touch with the police."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 5,
            "definition": "careful and complete",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Take a **close look** at this photograph."
                },
                {
                    "text": "On closer examination, the painting proved to be a fake."
                },
                {
                    "text": "A close inspection reveals stunning attention to detail."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Pay **close attention** to what I am telling you."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 6,
            "definition": "almost in a particular state; likely to do something soon",
            "sensetop": "close to somethingclose to doing something",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The airline is close to collapse.",
                    "contextForm": "close to something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "He was close to tears."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The species is **dangerously close** to extinction."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The new library is close to completion."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She knew she was close to death."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We are close to signing the agreement.",
                    "contextForm": "close to doing something"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 7,
            "definition": "very similar to something else or to an amount",
            "sensetop": "close to something",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "There's a **close resemblance between them** *(= they look very similar)*."
                },
                {
                    "text": "This movie is about as close to perfect as you could wish for.",
                    "contextForm": "close to something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Their chances of winning are close to zero."
                },
                {
                    "text": "His feeling for her was close to hatred."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The total was close to 20% of the workforce."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It was **the closest thing to** a home she had ever known."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We tried to match the colours, but this is the closest we could get."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The unemployment rate was close to 20% of the workforce."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The book bears a close resemblance to her earlier work."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 8,
            "definition": "won by only a small amount or distance",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "a close match/contest/election"
                },
                {
                    "text": "It was **pretty close** but we lost."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Our team came a **close second** *(= nearly won)*."
                },
                {
                    "text": "No one expected such a close finish."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The game was closer than the score suggests."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The result is going to be **too close to call** *(= either side may win)*."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The organizers of the race are predicting a close finish."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It's a desperately close race—I can't quite see who is ahead."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The California election looks too close to call as voters go to the polls."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I think it's going to be close."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 9,
            "definition": "used to describe something, usually a dangerous or unpleasant situation, that nearly happens",
            "cefr": "c2",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Phew! That was close—that car nearly hit us."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We caught the bus in the end but it was close *(= we nearly missed it)*."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Danger"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 10,
            "definition": "with little or no space in between",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "over 1 000 pages of close print"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The soldiers advanced in close formation."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 11,
            "definition": "cut very short, near to the skin",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "a **close haircut/shave**"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 12,
            "definition": "carefully guarded",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The donor's identity is a **close secret**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She was kept under **close arrest**."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 13,
            "definition": "warm in an uncomfortable way because there does not seem to be enough fresh air",
            "cefr": "c2",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "It’s very close today—I think there’s going to be a storm."
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "stuffy",
            "topics": ["Weather"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 14,
            "definition": "not willing to give personal information about yourself",
            "sensetop": "close (about something)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "He was close about his past."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 15,
            "definition": "not liking to spend money",
            "sensetop": "close (with something)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "She's always been very close with her money."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 16,
            "definition": "produced with part of the tongue in the highest possible position without limiting the flow of air",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "very near",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "fighting at close quarters"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "from only a short distance away",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The president was shot at close range."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She scored from close range."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "close to you in time or distance",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Help was at hand."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The property is ideally located with all local amenities close at hand."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "used to tell somebody that their attempt or guess was almost but not quite successful",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": [],
            "topics": ["Doubt, guessing and certainty", "Difficulty and failure"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "a situation in which you only just manage to avoid an accident, etc.",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "He had a close shave when his brakes failed on the mountain road."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "a situation in which success or failure is equally possible",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "We got him out in the end, but it was a close thing."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Success", "Difficulty and failure"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "having a lot of importance and interest for somebody",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "if a remark or topic of discussion is close to home, it is accurate or connected with you in a way that makes you uncomfortable or embarrassed",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Her remarks about me were embarrassingly close to home."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "that involves somebody directly",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The next year tragedy struck much closer to home."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to watch somebody/something carefully",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Over the next few months we will keep a close eye on sales."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "so near that it is uncomfortable or dangerous",
            "labels": "(figurative)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "When she leaves the stage, the fans can get a little too close for comfort."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They got the win but it was a tight match, definitely too close for comfort."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "physically very close to somebody; getting to know them well",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "**Get up close and personal** with the koalas at the San Diego Zoo."
                },
                {
                    "text": "For the last 30 years, I’ve been up close and personal with people whose lives were in crisis."
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/kləʊs/",
                "audio": "cl/close/close__gb_2.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/kləʊs/",
                "audio": "cl/close/close__us_2.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Middle English: from Old French clos (as noun and adjective), from Latin clausum ‘enclosure’ and clausus ‘closed’, past participle of claudere."
}