so near and yet so far


so near (and) yet so far

1. Some outcome is or was very close to happening, but it will not, may not, or did not happen, and therefore it seems like it is or was never so close. They reached the semifinals, only to have their championship dreams dashed by a crushing 4-0 defeat. So near, yet so far.2. One is very close to completing or succeeding at something, but there is still difficult work to do before that can happen. I finished the rough draft of my thesis, but I still have to edit and proofread it. I'm so near and yet so far.See also: far, near, yet

so near and yet so far

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so near yet so far

You say so near and yet so far or so near yet so far to say that someone almost achieved what they wanted, but in the end just failed. It was a case of so near yet so far yesterday for Catriona Jones when she finished just one shot behind the tournament winner.See also: and, far, near, yet

so near and yet so far

a rueful comment on a situation in which you have narrowly failed to achieve an aim.See also: and, far, near, yet

so ˌnear and ˌyet so ˈfar

used to describe a situation in which somebody is very near to success, but finally fails: He came second in the piano competition, only one point behind the winner. So near and yet so far.See also: and, far, near, yet

so near and yet so far

Nearby but still unattainable. This term appeared in the Roman writer Martial’s Epigrams (ca. a.d. 85) but apparently did not enter the English language for some time. Tennyson used it in “In Memoriam” (1850): “He seems so near and yet so far.”See also: and, far, near, yet